Tripartite meeting on Syria concludes in Amman
By Saad al-Yaziji
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – A tripartite meeting between the United States, Syria, and Jordan concluded Tuesday evening in Amman with an agreement to establish a joint working group to assist the Syrian government in consolidating a ceasefire in the southern province of Suwayda, which recently saw some of the bloodiest violence in years.
The meeting, which began earlier the same day, brought together Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Syrian Transitional Government Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, and U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barak.
According to a joint statement issued after the talks, the three sides agreed to respond to the Syrian government’s request to create a Syria–Jordan–U.S. working group aimed at “supporting the Syrian government’s efforts to stabilize the ceasefire in Suwayda and end the crisis there.” The statement added that another meeting will be held in the coming weeks to follow up on developments.
Suwayda, a province with a majority Druze population, was the scene of intense clashes beginning on July 13 that lasted for a week, leaving more than 1,600 people dead, including a significant number of civilians. The violence marked one of the deadliest episodes in the province in recent memory.
The joint statement stressed that “Suwayda, with all its local communities, is an integral part of Syria, where the rights of its residents are safeguarded in the path toward rebuilding a new Syria, ensuring security and representation for all citizens.”
The participants welcomed steps announced by the Syrian government, including “conducting full investigations and holding accountable all perpetrators of crimes and violations in Suwayda, cooperating with relevant UN bodies in the investigation process, enhancing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the area, and initiating reconciliation efforts.”
The talks in Amman come amid wider regional and international discussions on Syria’s future, where maintaining stability in the south is seen as a key component of national security. While Suwayda has been largely spared from the level of conflict seen in other parts of Syria, recent unrest has underscored the fragility of the situation.