Brussels Conference on Syria to Be Held via Videoconference in June
Arab World
Brussels- Abdullah Mustafa
The fourth Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region will be held via videoconference on June 30, European Union foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano has said. In written statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, Stano added that the conference would enable participants to discuss more support for the refugees and neighboring countries that received them and were affected by the conflict in Syria. It will also be an opportunity to discuss means of finding a political solution to end conflict, he added. The spokesman avoided answering a question on the parties invited by the EU to participate, being the initiator of this conference. He cited statements by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after a video conference of EU foreign ministers last week. “I’ve informed the ministers about the preparations for the fourth Brussels Conference on the future of Syria and the region. The ministerial event will take place on 30 June, I’m afraid in the digital format”, Borrell said. “This conference will be an opportunity to come with ambitious pledges and to express support for a credible political solution to the Syrian conflict, mediated by the United Nations,” he added. In September 2019, the EU published a report on the progress against the pledges made at the third Brussels conference on “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region” on behalf of the Brussels Conference co-chairs. It showed that for 2019, donors have already contributed 92 percent ($6.4 billion) of the pledges made to provide funding in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. As for 2020 and beyond, an EU statement indicated that only 32 percent of the pledges announced ($752 million) are already available. Of the $21 billion worth of loans pledged for 2019 and beyond, $14.8 billion (71 percent) have been made available in refugee-hosting countries. The international community pledged seven billion dollars in funding to support humanitarian, stabilizing, and development activities in 2019 in Syria and the region, and a further $2.4 billion for 2020 and beyond. In addition, international financial institutions and donors also announced $21 billion in loans for 2019 and beyond. Earlier this week, the EU Commission in Brussels has published detailed guidance on how coronavirus-related humanitarian aid can be sent to countries and areas around the world that are subject to EU sanctions, including Syria.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2298451/brussels-conference-syria-be-held-videoconference-june
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