UN resolution offers fresh hope for war-torn Syria
- By Wang Hui
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E-mail China Daily, December 24, 2015
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Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks to members of the Security Council at the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, Dec 18, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua] |
The unanimous passage of a resolution by the UN Security Council on Dec 18 supporting a peace process to end the civil war in Syria could facilitate talks between the Syrian government and opposition forces in early January possibly leading to a ceasefire.
The world has never reached such an agreement since the civil war broke out five years ago. Before Friday's meeting, the UN Security Council remained divided on the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The US-led West set the ousting of Assad as a prerequisite for any political resolution in Syria while Russia insisted Assad stay at the helm.
The latest resolution, despite carefully avoiding the most contentious issue, would not have been adopted if Washington and Moscow had not reached an understanding on Assad's future.
Though Washington is still reluctant to formally accept a major policy change over Assad, it may not be long before it does so. In what could be seen as testing the waters, US Secretary of State John Kerry said during his visit to Moscow last week that Washington and its partners are not seeking regime change in Syria.
True, high-ranking US officials, US President Barack Obama included, later clarified that the US policy on Syria remains unchanged and Assad has to go. But Washington will have to directly deal with Assad sooner or later.
The rise of the Islamic State in the Middle East last year has totally changed the political landscape in the region. The UN resolution on Syria was adopted against the backdrop of the terrorist group wreaking havoc not only in Syria and Iraq, but also other places in the world.
The rising global awareness of the urgency to deal with the IS group has prompted the US and Russia, as well as other members of the international community to reach a consensus on Syria. Under such circumstances, if the US continues to stick to its "Assad-must-go" rhetoric, it will undermine the international efforts to fight terrorism.
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