Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Paolo Gentiloni, is closely following the negotiations in Geneva between the Syrian Government and the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), aimed at achieving an inclusive and credible political solution to the Syrian conflict. He welcomed the Mediator’s Summary presented by UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura at the end of the third negotiation round (13-27 April), which identifies points of convergence between the parties and the priority issues relating to “transitional governance”, which will need to be addressed during the negotiations.
Minister Gentiloni is concerned about the serious escalation of violence in Syria, and in particular the indiscriminate air bombardments by the Syrian regime, which are jeopardising the cessation of hostilities. He is also concerned about the persistence of dramatic humanitarian conditions in some areas besieged by the regime.
As the Special Envoy de Mistura stated in his assessment, a relaunch of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) is needed to effectively implement the truce and to ensure full and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid, consistent with the conclusions of the ISSG meeting in Munich last February, in order to create favorable conditions for an effective resumption of intra-Syrian political negotiations in Geneva in the coming weeks.
Minister Gentiloni confirmed his full support to the efforts of Special Envoy de Mistura directed to promote a political transition in accordance with the Geneva Communiqué and UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and his commitment to further strengthening the role and the achievements of the Geneva based ISSG Task Forces on the cessation of hostilities and on humanitarian issues, in which Italy is actively involved.
