The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, participated this Thursday in the Paris Conference on Syria, where he defended the use of mechanisms that allow for a peaceful and inclusive transition and guarantee the sovereignty and security of the country.
The international meeting on the transition process in Syria, the third since the overthrow of the Bashar al Assad regime and which took place two weeks after the appointment of Ahmed Al Sharaa as interim president, brought together representatives of the new Syrian government, as well as the main European, Arab and G7 partners, with the aim of strengthening cooperation, coordinating aid to the Syrian people and supporting the economy and stabilization of the country.
During the meeting, according to a press release from the Foreign Ministry, Albares shared space with her counterparts from Italy, Canada, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, among others, as well as the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dinravka Suica, and representatives from the United States, Turkey, Japan, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The attendees highlighted the importance of transitional justice and the fight against impunity and Albares stressed that the first steps that have been taken since the establishment of the new administration are positive, such as the formation of a Preparatory Committee to organize the National Dialogue Conference, which includes two women among its seven members.
According to Foreign Ministry, Spain plans to allocate, in 2025, an additional six million in humanitarian aid to Syria, three million for refugees and 1.6 million in cereals from Ukraine through the Grain from Ukraine program.
Spain will also support transitional justice mechanisms with 500,000 euros and will continue to work with regional partners and the international community to preserve what has been achieved in the fight against terrorism, to ensure the destruction of chemical weapons and to prevent organised crime and illicit trafficking.
On Thursday, Albares also held a bilateral meeting with his new Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Rajji, and with the Foreign Ministers of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, and Iraq, Fuad Hussein.
