SYRIA: Assyrian Democratic Organization delegation meets with U.S. Mission for Syria in Hasakah

HASAKAH, Syria — A delegation from the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) headed by organizational head Daoud Daoud and including member of the ADO Secretariat Bashir Saadi and member of the ADO Executive Office Gabriel Moshe visited the headquarters of the U.S. Mission for Syria in Hasakah city on Friday. The delegation met with Ms. Zahra Bell, Political Officer of the U.S. Mission for Syria, and her assistant.

The ADO presented to the U.S. Mission its vision for a political settlement in Syria and called for the need to push for a political solution in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254.

The need to accelerate the negotiations over a new constitution is of the utmost importance, argued the ADO delegation.

According to ADO’s political vision, the new Syria must provide the following:

• • A democratic state that is neutral to religions and nationalities
  • Recognition of political pluralism
  • Recognition of national diversity
  • Separation of powers
  • An independent judiciary
  • Mechanisms ensuring the peaceful transfer of power
  • Recognition of the rights of all people(s) in Syria on the basis of equal citizenship

The situation of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people and the need to strengthen their ability to remain in their homeland were also addressed highlighted by the ADO to the U.S. Mission, particularly in the Khabur River Valley which has been severely affected by the attacks of the Islamic State and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.

In related news, a delegation from the Front for Peace and Freedom — a coalition which includes ADO, the Kurdish National Council (ENKS), the Syria’s Tomorrow Movement, and the Arab Council in Euphrates and Al-Jazeera — visited Moscow to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other senior officials. During the meeting, the visiting delegation stressed the need to unite the Syrian opposition and push for the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2254.

In late August, a delegation from the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) travelled to Moscow for similar talks. The SDC delegation consisted of Sanharib Barsoum — Co-Chair of the Syriac Union Party (SUP) in Syria, Sihanouk Dibo — Member of the Presidency Council of the SDC, Îlham Ahmed — Co-Chair of the Executive Council of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, and Hikmat Habib — Deputy Co-Chair of the Executive Council of the SDC.