Nur-Sultan: The 16th meeting of the Astana talks in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan have started positively but with cautious optimism, head of the delegation of the Syrian opposition, Ahmet Toma stated.
Toma told Daily Sabah that the main items on the Astana talks’ agenda is cross-border aid, the efforts of the constitutional committee, the political process as well as the recently increasing attacks by the Bashar Assad regime and its allies toward opposition-held areas mainly in the northwest.
“The most important topic on the agenda was the humanitarian crossings, which are the only remaining artery to provide relief to the Syrian people with all its components. Russia’s use of its veto next week in the Security Council would have catastrophic consequences on the humanitarian situation and would destroy any possible progress in the political process,” Toma underlined.
Toma said that the opposition will do its best to prevent this from happening.
“The cessation of humanitarian aid will cause major damage to the peace process in Syria and will increase the suffering and poverty of the people. These harsh conditions push many toward extremism and terrorism, and no one has an interest in that.”
Another significant point of focus was the cease-fire violations by the regime and its allies, Toma said, and “the attempt of the Syrian regime to tamper with the lines of contact between the warring forces.”
The situation in the country’s northwest has worsened since the last round of the Astana talks with increasing attacks and civilian deaths. The bombings have not stopped and the displaced have not returned to their homes.
According to opposition figures, at least 550 attacks on civilians, 28 Russian airstrikes, more than 400 artillery attacks, more than 50 missile attacks and three cluster bomb attacks have taken place.
Artillery fire from Assad regime-controlled territory and airstrikes last week on civilians have killed eight, six of whom were children, in renewed attacks that the United Nations called “the worst since the cease-fire brokered in March last year.”
The area has seen rising violence in recent weeks despite the truce brokered last year. – Agencies
