General documents - Syrian authorities must redouble their efforts to find a political solution - Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries

• EU should step up its assistance to the Syrian people
• Humanitarian corridors should remain open for humanitarian relief
  
• Urgent need for a political resolution of the conflict

Without progress on a political settlement, we will not be in a position to assist in longer-term relief and reconstruction, warns the Chair of the Mashreq delegation.

Following the fourth Brussels Conference on "Supporting the future of Syria and the region", the Chair of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries, Isabel Santos (S&D, PT), said:

"Yesterday's conference on 'Supporting the future of Syria and the region' is the fourth of its kind, taking place as Syria is entering its tenth year of conflict. The point was made during the conference that the Syrian conflict has now lasted almost as long as the two World Wars combined, and has wrought terrible destruction and inflicted tremendous hardship on the Syrian people.

It is heartening to see that the international community continues to support the people of Syria, both inside the country and in host communities in the region. We must step up our assistance to the Syrian people to ensure that they can realise their dreams of building a new and better future for their country. Syrian refugees in host countries must have access to adequate education and long-term socio-economic opportunities to enable them to contribute to the future of Syria, if and when the time comes that they would like to return, and it is safe for them to do so. More immediately, we must ensure that humanitarian corridors remain open and safe to allow humanitarian relief to reach those who desperately need it.

Finally, I hope that the Syrian government will accept the urgent need for a political resolution of this crisis and will engage more actively with the Geneva process, which will eventually allow funds to be made available for longer-term relief and reconstruction. The EU, the EU Member States and the European Parliament have repeatedly made it clear that, without progress on a political settlement through the Geneva process, we will not be in a position to assist with reconstruction. I therefore urge the Syrian authorities to redouble their efforts in this direction."

Background

The European Union and the United Nations co-chaired the fourth Brussels Conference on "Supporting the future of Syria and the region" on 30 June 2020.

The situation in Syria and the region is highly critical with millions of Syrians internally displaced and having sought refuge in Syria's neighbouring countries. The humanitarian crisis is being further compounded by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Conference highlighted the importance of the solidarity shown by host countries and communities in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, as well as other host countries in the region such as Egypt and Iraq.