Hanoi (VNA) – The United Nations Security Council(UNSC) on August 19 held a videoconference on the political situation in Syriaduring which the Vietnamese representative stressed the need to ensure securityto promote political solutions in the country in line with the UNSC’sResolution 2254.

At the monthly meeting, the UNSecretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said preparations arebeing made to convene the third session of the Small Body of the Syrian-owned,Syrian-led, UN-facilitated Constitutional Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, onAugust 24.

After a nine-month hiatus, caused by differencesover the agenda until March this year and then by COVID-19 restrictions, theConstitutional Committee meets on the basis of an agreement between thegovernment and the opposition that guides its work, he noted, affirming that hewill make efforts to encourage all committee members to come to Geneva ready toengage in earnest on the substance amid millions of Syrians continuing to faceimmense suffering.

According to Pedersen, the calm brought about byRussian and Turkish efforts in the country’s northwest continues to largelyhold.

However, he also voiced concern over complexsecurity developments in this region, including terrorist groups’ growingactivities and hampering of joint Russian-Turkish patrols in Idlib. Theworrying situation has also been seen in the northeast of Syria, where an improvisedexplosive device attack killed a Russian General in Deir-ez-Zor on August 18and an altercation between Syrian Government and US forces was reported earlierthis week.

Besides, the special envoy expressed concernover the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Syria as the number of infectionsis growing, already reaching 2,114.

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of Vietnam’spermanent mission to the UN, underlined the need to ensure security to promotepolitical solutions in line with the UNSC’s Resolution 2254.

He called on members of the ConstitutionalCommittee to take part in negotiations with a goodwill and constructive spirit,considering the resumption of talks after a long hiatus as an importantmilestone to boost the comprehensive political process in Syria.

The diplomat also appealed to the internationalcommunity to increase support for Syria, especially in the face ofsocio-economic challenges and severe impacts of COVID-19.

Instability and conflict in Syria are now intheir tenth year, causing one of the most serious humanitarian crises inhistory with hundreds of thousands of casualties and millions made homeless andseeking refuge.

The Constitutional Committee was founded inSeptember 2019 with a view to stepping up negotiations on the revision ofSyria’s Constitution between the country’s government and the opposition on thebasis of the political process outlined in the UNSC’s Resolution 2254./.