President,

I thank Deputy Special Envoy Claudio Cordone and Acting Assistant Secretary-General Indrika Ratwatte for their briefings. I welcome the representatives of Syria, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates to this meeting.

China welcomes that Iran and the United States, facilitated by Pakistan and Qatar, have launched follow-up consultations based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two countries, and reached consensus on the mechanism for the next phase of negotiation. Effectively maintaining and implementing the Memorandum of Understanding will help consolidate the hard-won ceasefire and bring peace back to the Middle East. Syria is an important country in the region. Helping Syria fully restore peace and stability is the earnest expectation of the international community and should be a shared objective pursued by all parties. I would like to make three points.

First, ensuring inclusivity is the fundamental principle of political transition. China has noted positive progress made by the Syrian transitional government in implementing the agreement on the comprehensive integration of northeastern Syria. We welcome the return of calm in the northeastern Syria. Tensions among groups in southwestern Syria remain acute and the overall atmosphere remains tense. We support all Syrian parties in upholding the “Syrian-led and Syrian-owned” principle, continuing political dialogue and steadily advancing an inclusive political process to ensure that the voices of all groups are fully heard and that their rights are equally protected.

Second, maintaining security is a key prerequisite for national reconstruction. At present, the security situation in Syria remains fragile. Terrorist groups are still active and continue to carry out attacks, posing a serious threat to regional security and stability. The Syrian transitional government should adopt a firmer stance and take more effective measures to resolutely combat all terrorist groups listed by the Security Council, including the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and respond to the major concerns of the international community regarding counter-terrorism issue in Syria. All parties must firmly reject double standards and avoid selectivity in counter-terrorism.

Third, improving people's livelihoods is the most urgent priority. For some time, the Syrian transitional government has been working hard to restore the economy and has achieved some results. After years of conflict, the humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire and challenges persist in areas such as food security, refugee resettlement, and economic development. We have noted the recent flooding in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor governorates, which has had a severe impact on people's livelihoods. We call on the international community to scale up humanitarian and development assistance to Syria and step up efforts to help ease the hardships of the Syrian people.

President,

Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity should be respected. The Golan Heights is internationally recognized as occupied Syrian territory. Israel's military presence in the area of separation lacks legal basis under international law. Israel should cease all military operations in Syria and withdraw from Syrian territory as soon as possible. The 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement should be observed, and the safety and security of UN peacekeepers must be ensured. 

China is ready to work with the international community to play a constructive role in promoting long-term peace and stability in Syria and restoring peace and stability in the Middle East.

Thank you, President.