Minorities have a key role in the process of transition in Syria
15 December 2012 News
“The collapse of the Assad regime is going to come soon. Now we must concentrate our efforts on the situation of minorities in Syria and the protection of their social and religious leaders who will play a key role in the process of transition in the country,” Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov said during the closing session of the conference “The Middle East and North Africa and the Balkans: Challenges of Transformation” organised by the New Bulgarian University and the Al-Jazeera Center for Studies.
“Bulgaria was the first country in the EU to say that Syria would face a very serious problem,” Minister Mladenov said. According to the Bulgarian Foreign Minister, the international community needs to re-triple its efforts to support the opposition in Syria and to get into place a good plan for a political transition after the end of the regime. “It is essential to have a rapid response by the international community to address the humanitarian crisis and to secure assistance for the distressed population in Syria, because it could endanger the very fabric of society,” he emphasised.
“Bulgaria could pay a very important role in the political transition, change and reconstruction of Syria. You have a very good level of contacts between people and a good knowledge of Syrian society,” said Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Center in Doha, Qatar. He recalled that our country had hosted in May 2012 of one of the most important meetings so far, that had brought together representatives of all Syrian opposition groups. “This is a project for the future of Syria,” Salman Shaikh said.
Syria must make its transition and remain united, with the help of the international community and its neighbours. This is not an easy process, but we are seeing the beginning of a round of changes, a revolution to achieve democracy through reforms, for dignity and a better life, said Salah Elzein, director of the Al-Jazeera Center for Studies.
The three participants in the closing session shared the view that the guaranteeing of pluralism, justice and the achievement of consensus are the three key challenges facing the transition in the region of the Middle East and North Africa. “One of the main lessons that we learnt from our transition and that we can pass on to Syria is that we focused too much on economic issues and not enough on the subject of the rule of law,” Mladenov said.