Qatar: Syria ‘safe zones’ not an alternative to political transition

Qatar’s foreign minister today welcomed a Russian-brokered agreement for “de-escalation” zones in Syria but said the plan was no substitute for a political transition that would see President Bashar Al-Assad step down.

It is good to have de-escalation zones but this must be a step to reach a solution to the Syrian crisis and not to use it as an excuse to delay this solution and to postpone the political transition

the Qatari foreign ministry quoted Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani as telling the Doha-based Al Jazeera network.

The remarks came after talks between the Qatari minister and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington.

Read: Questions about the southern front and the ‘safe zone’

Russia brokered the deal for de-escalation zones with backing from Iran and opposition supporter Turkey during ceasefire talks in the Kazakh capital Astana last week. The deal took effect at midnight on Friday.

Some fighting has continued in those areas, particularly north of Hama city, but the overall intensity has reduced, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.