Assyrian leader criticizes exclusionary approach at Conference in Damascus

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Wael Warda, senior official in the Assyrian Democratic Party in Syria, criticized on Wednesday the exclusionary policies of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference, which concluded in Damascus on Tuesday.

In a statement to North Press, Warda accused the current government of replicating the exclusionary model of the previous Syrian regime, emphasizing that excluding ethnic and national groups—including the Assyrians—from the dialogue is a denial of reality and an evasion of the country’s pressing challenges.

“A healthy and unified nation cannot be built without the true representation of all its people and a recognition of Syria’s ethnic, political, and cultural diversity,” Warda stated.

He warned that the exclusion seen at the conference could have severe national consequences, deepening divisions within the country’s social fabric and threatening coexistence.

“All Syrians must see themselves as equal partners in rebuilding the nation, rather than being subjected to a unilateral vision imposed by one faction,” he added.

Warda further stressed that no single party or ethnic group can impose its own solution on a country as diverse as Syria, arguing that such an approach undermines unity and paves the way for division and foreign intervention.

The Syrian National Dialogue Conference concluded with several key resolutions, including the formation of a committee to draft a permanent constitution.

The conference faced widespread criticism from various Syrian factions, including the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, which condemned both the structure and the outcomes of the conference.

By Samer Yassin