Ukraine’s official delegation led by Ukraine’s Special Representative for the Middle East and AfricaYevhen Mykytenko took part in the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the “Group of Friends of the Syrian People” held in Marrakesh (Kingdom of Morocco).
It should be noted that Ukraine participated in two previous meetings in April and June this year in Istanbul and Parisrespectively.
In the course of this international event the Ukrainian delegation had a number of bilateral meetings with the heads of the delegations of Qatar, Libya, Palestine, Yemen, as well as with officials of the National Coalition for Syrian Opposition Forces, during which Ukraine’s principle position was underscored regarding the necessity of immediate cessation of violence and bloodshed lasting in Syria for over a year and a half, with the aim of quick resumption of political dialogue between the fighting parties in the interests of both the Syrian people and all countries of the region.
In addition, the Ukrainian delegation informed the participants of the Conference about a grave concern of our state over the on-going armed conflict in Syria which caused numerous losses of lives, including among civil population.
During the session of the “Group of Friends of the Syrian People” the Ukrainian delegation stressed that our state reaffirmed its commitment to independence, state sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Syria, hailing in essence the efforts of the National Coalition for Syrian Opposition Forces representatives aimed at starting up a wide inclusive internal Syrian dialogue.
It was also emphasized that according to the President of Ukraine’s decree, humanitarian aid will be provided for Syrian refugees through relevant UN mechanisms.
Ukraine’s participation in the event once again helped strengthen Ukraine’s status of a reliable partner in the issue of resolving Syria crisis, and confirmed the continuity and steadfastness of our state regarding the necessity of settling Syria issue solely in peaceful way, avoiding external interference.
The Conference was attended by delegations from 114 countries, 13 international and regional organizations, as well as representatives of the Syrian external opposition.
Next meeting of the “Group of Friends of the Syrian People” is to be held in 2013 in Italy.