Democracy Movement in Syria to hold Conference in European Parliament

     

Brussels — Members of the Damascus Declaration for National Democratic Change coalition group will be holding a conference in the European Parliament in Brussels. Entitled “Syria in Transition”, the conference will be held on Tuesday 13 May starting at 10am and will continue for the rest of the day (Room A5E2, ASP Building, European Parliament, Brussels).

The conference is sponsored by the Movement for Justice and Development, the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party and the Assyrian Institute of Europe. Also participating in the conference will be the Kurdish Democratic Party and members from various Damascus Declaration Committees in Europe.

Among the speakers will be Vice-President of the European Parliament Marek Siwiec MEP. Also speaking will be Charles Tannock MEP and Jana Hybaskova MEP, both members of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee; Anne Koistinen from the European Commission and Colin Scicluna from the Council of the European Union.

Nadim Shehadi of the Royal Institute for International Relations – Chatham House will be there to give expert analysis, as well as a representative from Human Rights Watch.

From the Syrian side will be Anas Abdah, Chairman of the Movement for Justice and Development; Ausama Monajed from Movement for Justice and Development; Kamiran Haj Abdo from the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party; Ablahad Astepho from the Assyrian Institute of Europe and Kamiran Hajo, European representative of the Kurdish Democratic Front.

The conference will consist of three panels. The first will be entitled “Syria Today” and it will discuss human rights violations, breaches of civil rights and the deteriorating standard of living for ordinary Syrians. The panel will also discuss the veracity of Syrian regime claims of economic development and modernization.

The second panel will be entitled “The National Council of the Damascus Declaration”. It will present the positive steps taken by the Syrian opposition beginning with the Damascus Spring to the Damascus Declaration through to the formation of the National Council. The panel will discuss the importance of democratic change in Syria from a national, regional and international perspective and the prospects of a post-Ba’th Syria.

The third panel will address the future of EU-Syrian relations and the on-going debate on engagement. The panellists will discuss whether continuing the policy of unconditional engagement with the regime is a viable one and whether serious pressure is needed for the regime to accept democracy.

The conference comes as part of the Damascus Declaration member’s overall strategy to build an effective international relations network to support the cause of democratic change in Syria. This conference comes after the Damascus Declaration members have succeeded in holding similar meetings, events and conferences in the German Bundestag, the UK Parliament and the United States Congress.

More info and press contact:

Ausama Monajed, Movement for Justice & Development in Syria
+44 -7888-695-690 – amonajed@forsyria.org

Ablahad Astepho, Assyrian Institute of Europe
+32 – 475 69 83 80, astephoa@hotmail.com

Kamiran Bekes, Kurdish Democratic Union Party
++49-172 57 76 095, kamiranbekes@hotmail.com