News

At the 4th international conference of the Group of Friends of the Syrian people in Marrakech on 12 December, Lithuania together with other Nordic and Baltic countries issued a joint statement on the situation in Syria, stressing that the massacre carried out by the Syrians regime, acts of violence against its own civilians and the cycle of destruction in the country cannot be tolerated any longer.

Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavičius represented Lithuania at the conference. The event was co-organized by the United Nations, the League of Arab States and other actors in the international community in an attempt to put a stop to persecution and massacres carried out by the Syrian Government forces, and to cease all violence against innocent civilians. The event was attended by representatives of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.

The on-going conflict in Syria has taken more than 40 thousand lives, and up to 3 million of Syrians have been forced to leave their homes and country.

The issued document confirms the determination of the Nordic and Baltic countries to support the efforts of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces to form a reliable alternative government. The Nordic and Baltic countries hope that the coalition will follow the principles of democracy and respect for human rights, and will collaborate with all opposition groups and layers of the Syrian civil society.

The Nordic and Baltic countries reiterated their full support to the efforts of the Joint Special Representative of the UN and the League of Arab States, Lakhdar Brahimi in finding a political solution to the crisis and urged all members of the United Nations Security Council to abide by their commitments.

Taking into consideration the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the impending winter, the Nordic and Baltic countries pledged to increase humanitarian assistance and thus help make a difference to reduce the suffering in Syria and in neighbouring countries. Lithuania has allocated 50 thousand Litas to help Syrian refugees who have poured into neighbouring countries.

The first conference of the Group of Friends of the Syrian people was held in Tunisia in February 2012. The second conference took place in Istanbul this April, and the third was organised this July in Paris. The next meeting of the Group of Friends of the Syrian people is due in Rome.