Syria: next steps for diplomacy

On 16 December 2014, the European Foundation for Democracy hosted a closed-door policy briefing on the Syrian crisis to discuss possible next steps for diplomacy and action to mitigate the conflict. The guest speaker for the event was Hadi al-Bahra, President of the Syrian National Coalition. During the briefing, President al-Bahra discussed the Syrian opposition’s efforts in countering IS/Daesh forces and outlined how the EU can address the situation on the ground. He reflected on his discussions with EU Foreign Ministers, in Brussels for a Foreign Affairs Council meeting the previous day. In addition, President al-Bahra set out the SNC’s position with regards to the plan for localised ceasefires, as proposed by UN and Arab League Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura.