This morning, October 29, the proposals of the main components of the Syrian political opposition on the future of the country were presented to the press in the Sala Della Pace of Sant'Egidio. This occurred in compliance with an agreement reached in recent days thanks to the Community's role as facilitator.
In Rome, at the invitation of Sant'Egidio, 15 delegates from the different and major entities of the Syrian opposition, together with a significant representation of minorities, gathered to relaunch a political process that is capable of ending the suffering of the Syrian people.
Sant'Egidio's International Relations Officer, Mauro Garofalo, stated that "the proposal for a transitional path is part of an international context that follows the recent Istanbul summit between Putin, Erdogan, Macron, and Merkel on the future of Syria.”
Speaking on behalf of the Syrian delegates was Randa Kassis, who is the president of the Astana Platform. She highlighted the hope that finally comes from this meeting after 7 years of war that has forced so many individuals to emigrate. She even thanked Sant'Egidio for the "seat of Peace." Moreover, she claimed that "the Syrian people have been suffering from misery, economic crisis, and war for too long. Poverty has reached very severe percentages and the absence of medical care aggravates the situation." The road map, which was created in recent days, offers a realistic path for the reconstruction of the country. Similar perspectives also emerged from the words of Nawaf Alsheikh Fares, who is an independent opponent and former governor of Idlib (a place where fighting is still going on).
The road map is the result of a very broad accord, and this constitutes a solid premise and a method. It is an example of how ways can be found for the reconstruction of the country "when the guns go silent." In the end, this happened thanks to the application of democratic practice and the involvement of the widest number of stakeholders.
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