Any resolution of Syrian conflict must guarantee country’s unity, says UN chief

MOSCOW (TASS): Any scenario for resolving the Syrian crisis should guarantee Syria’s territorial integrity, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterrres said on Sunday opening the 30th Arab League summit in Tunisia.

“Any resolution of the Syrian conflict must guarantee the unity, the territorial integrity of Syria, including the occupied Golan,” he stressed.

According to the UN chief, his new special envoy outlined the priorities for a comprehensive and credible political solution based on Security Council Resolution 2254, including the convocation of the Constitutional Committee.

Speaking at the summit, Guterres also raised the Palestinian-Israeli settlement issue, stressing that the resolution of the conflict should be based on the two-state formula.

He pointed out that a top priority objective should be a solution for Israel and Palestine “living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, and with Jerusalem as capital of both states”.

“There is no Plan B: without two states, there is no solution,” Guterres said, adding that the ongoing violence in Gaza is a tragic reminder of the fragility of the situation.

On March 25, US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Golan Heights, which had belonged to Syria since 1944, were seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War.

In 1981, the Israeli parliament passed a law unilaterally declaring sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

The UN Security Council declared the annexation null and void in its Resolution 497 of December 17, 1981.