Turkish, Russian, Iranian ministers to meet in Geneva to announce Syrian charter team

ANKARA

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia and Iran are expected to meet in Geneva on Dec 18 and announce the formation of a council tasked to write the new constitution of Syria, boosting hopes for a political breakthrough to the eight-year old turmoil in the Middle Eastern country.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranıan Foreign Minister Javad Zarif are expected to come together at a meeting to be hosted by UN’s special Syria envoy Steffan de Mistura, the Anadolu Agency reported on Dec 17 citing Turkish diplomatic sources.

The ministers and de Mistura are believed to announce that year-long works for the formation of a 45-person constitutional council who will pen Syria’s new charter have yielded results and to inform about next phases of the political process.

Resolution 2254 of the UN Security Council stipulates the writing of the new constitution by an inclusive group and holding general elections to decide the future rulers of Syria. At a meeting held in Sochi in January 2018, the Syrian National Dialogue Congress decided to form a constitutional council with the participation of 50 members representing the regime, 50 representing the opposition and another 50 from the Syrian civil society.

Each group was supposed to give15 members for the formation of a group to write the constitution. The Syrian regime was delaying the process.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had assured Turkey, Germany and France that the council would be set up before the end of 2018.