EU hails announcement of Syria constitutional committee

ANKARA

The EU on Thursday welcomed the announcement of agreement on the formation of a Syrian constitutional committee.

"The EU has consistently affirmed that any sustainable solution to the conflict requires a genuine political transition as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015) and the 2012 Geneva Communique negotiated by the Syrian parties within the UN-led Geneva process," according to a statement from the office of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday announced the formation of a body to write a new constitution for Syria following more than eight years of war that have devastated the country and its people.

Guterres said the constitutional committee can and must be the beginning of a political process to end the conflict.

"The EU therefore looks forward to the inaugural meeting of the committee at the earliest possible opportunity and will monitor developments thereafter most closely. This is a definite step forward, and one that is certainly full of potential," the statement read.

The EU also underlined the urgent need for positive developments in parallel to the work in the constitutional committee.

"To recall, the EU will be ready to assist in the reconstruction of Syria when a comprehensive, genuine and inclusive political transition, in the framework of UNSCR [UN Security Council Resolution] 2254 and the Geneva process, is firmly under way," it added.

The bloc also expressed willingness to support the developing peace process in Syria in whatever way it can, in close conjunction and coordination with the UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.