MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The statement of the presidents of three ceasefire guarantors on Syria after their meeting in Sochi on Wednesday lays practical ground for the political settlement in Syria and gives a push forward to the Geneva negotiations process, leader of Moscow platform of the Syrian opposition Qadri Jamil told Sputnik.
“I believe this statement is very important, I can compare its importance only with the creation of the Astana platform, which helped the Geneva process from a military perspective. Now there are difficulties in the Geneva process, that is why a political process in Sochi starts helping and giving a fresh impetus to the Geneva process. I believe that this meeting and decision are very important because that means for us that a ground for the practical launch of the political process in Syria has been laid. We have already come to an end of the fight against the IS and terrorism and these results must be supported — but they can be supported only with the political process," Jamil said.
"Given what is happening in Raqqa now… I think that the extremist [opposition] groups that have not understood the balance of power will not attend [the meeting in Sochi]. Let them miss the meeting, let them be in isolation. But there are other groups, including those in the armed opposition, that signed the ceasefire agreement and want to take part in the political process. That is why I think that the Sochi process will not be less important than the Astana process, which was positively assessed by three presidents," Jamil added.
The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran have also agreed that they would continue cooperation until the final defeat of the Daesh terrorist organization.
Meantime, some Syrian opposition parties have already chosen their delegates who will take part in the National Dialogue Congress that will be held in the Russian city of Sochi, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"The Syrian National Dialogue Congress is being prepared. According to the reports from opposition in Syria, the meeting of Russian and Syrian presidents in Sochi on November 20 was lively discussed. In course of sessions, some oppositional parties have elected delegates to the Syrian National Dialogue Congress," the ministry's center for Syrian reconciliation said in its daily bulletin.
"Another 330 people are being prepared to make their way back home from the al-Taymadah-Albaltarya temporary housing area. Over the last 24 hours, 95 people have made their way back home in the provinces of Aleppo (45), Hama (36) and Homs (14)," the statement said.
Within last 24 hours 238 people received medical aid provided by the Russia Defense Ministry with 53 of them having got surgical care.
Russia is actively involved in solving the Syrian conflict by engaging in a military operation against terrorist organizations, serving as a mediator in the Astana reconciliation talks and guarantor of the Syrian ceasefire, as well as by providing civilians with humanitarian aid.
Syria has been engulfed in a civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting numerous opposition factions and terrorist groups. The international community has taken a number of steps aimed at settling the crisis, including through talks in Geneva and Astana.
