DOHA, December 8. /TASS/. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq, as well as the Astana format countries - Russia, Turkey, and Iran - expressed their support for the cessation of hostilities in Syria to pave the way for the launch of a political process, according to a joint statement issued following their meeting on the Syrian crisis in Doha.
"The Ministers stressed the need to stop military operations in preparation for launching a comprehensive political process, based on Security Council Resolution 2254, to put an end to the military escalation that leads to the shedding of more innocent and defenseless blood and prolonging the crisis, and to preserve the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria and to protect it from slipping into chaos and terrorism and ensure the voluntary return of refugees and the displaced," the final statement, released by the Qatari Foreign Ministry, says.
"The attendees stressed the importance to continue close consultation and coordination among them in order to contribute effectively to finding a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis, in a way that achieves the aspirations of the Syrian people for security, stability and justice, in addition to enhancing efforts aimed at consolidating security and stability in the region," the statement added.
It also emphasized that "the continuation of the Syrian crisis constitutes a dangerous development for the safety of the country and regional and international security, which requires all parties to seek a political solution to the Syrian crisis that leads to end of military operations, and protection of civilians from the repercussions of this crisis."
The parties also stressed the importance of joint efforts to "increase humanitarian aid to the Syrian people" as well as to ensure its unimpeded access to all areas affected by the conflict.
The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, along with a Russian representative. The consultations emphasized the importance of preserving Syria's unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
On November 27, the Jabhat al-Nusra extremist group (banned in Russia) carried out a major attack in northern Syria. The Syrian military command later said the army had to fall back from Aleppo to regroup and prepare for a counterattack.
On December 5, the command of the Syrian Armed Forces announced that militants infiltrated into several neighborhoods of Hama. According to a statement from the command, government forces in charge of defending Hama were pulled out of the city.