The sixteenth round of the International Meeting on Syria in Astana format was held on 7-8 July 2021 in Nur-Sultan.

At the meetings, the humanitarian situation in Syria and humanitarian assistance, Constitutional Committee and political process, the current situation in Idlib and combating terrorism particularly the separatist entity in the East of Euphrates were thoroughly discussed.

The participants emphasized the need to increase humanitarian assistance to Syria and urged the UN and the international community to this end.

The participants reiterated their commitment to advancing the political process in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2254. In this context, they highlighted the importance for holding the sixth round of the Constitutional Committee and respecting the Terms of Reference and Core Rules of Procedure in the work of the Committee.

Separatist agendas that pose threat to the political unity and territorial integrity of Syria were rejected. Unacceptable nature of illegitimate self-rule initiatives under the pretext of combating terrorism was underlined. Attacks on civilians and, most recently, on civilian facilities have been condemned. In this framework, we referred to the terrorist attack carried out by the PKK/YPG on a UN-supported hospital in Afrin on 12 June. Furthermore, our expectation was reiterated for the removal of the terrorist organization, in line with the relevant agreements, from the areas where this attack was conducted.

Commitment to the preservation of calm on the ground in Idlib was reaffirmed. We stressed that the recent increase in ceasefire violations must end at the earliest.

A meeting of Working Group on the Release of Detainees/Abductees, Handover of Bodies and Identification of Missing Persons was also held on the sidelines of the Astana Meeting. Successful mutual release of some detainees on 2 July as part of the fifth project of the Working Group was welcomed. It was agreed to continue such activities and cooperation within the Working Group.