SNC Delegation Meets Norwegian Foreign Ministry

Thursday, 08 December 2011
SNC Delegation Meets Norwegian Foreign Ministry
SNC Delegation Meets Norwegian Foreign Ministry

The Syrian National Council (SNC) met with the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and submitted requests and suggestions with regard to how the Norwegian government could support the Syrian people. To take full advantage of their time in Norway, the SNC also coordinated with several political and humanitarian organizations that could be helpful to the Syrian cause and support it at every level.

The delegation consisted of Dr. Osama Kadi, an economist in the SNC; Dr. Bassma Al-Kodmani, a member of the SNC's Executive Office; Mr. Adib Shishakly, a member of the SNC's Foreign Relations Office; and Hanan Al-Baghi, an SNC member and its official representative in Norway. The visit took place December 9-11.

Dr. Osama Kadi and Mr. Adib Shishakly presented a discussion titled, "Humanity and Economics in Syria: Before, during, and After the Revolution." The presentation was well-attended by political figures, Middle East experts, and a number of representatives from humanitarian organizations with which the SNC had had previous contacts. Norwegian media, including newspapers, covered the event and conducted interviews with the SNC after the presentation.

The SNC then visited "Organization to Support the People," a humanitarian organization, and described the tragic situation, at all levels, of the Syrian people. The organization pledged to support the Syrian people in all possible ways. After the meeting, the SNC delegation headed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with the Norwegian Foreign Minister and several other prominent government officials. They welcomed the delegation and expressed keen interest in the SNC's requests of the Norwegian government, which were to stress the importance of:

  1. Providing protection for civilians in any possible manner.
  2. Pressuring the Syrian regime and demanding Assad's resignation.
  3. Supplying humanitarian aid to the stricken Syrian cities, especially Daraa, Homs, and Idlib.
  4. Supporting the Syrian refugees along the borders with Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.
  5. Providing travel documents to those SNC members who lack them, or cannot obtain them from the Syrian Embassy.
  6. Warning the Assad regime to NOT commit a massacre in Homs similar to that of Hama in 1982.
  7. Pressuring Russia and China to change their position with regard to Syria.

In addition to the above, Dr. Kadi requested that the Foreign Minister lead a group to support development in the post-Assad Syria.


The Foreign Minister's responses were generally positive, and he emphasized the importance of garnering support from the Arab League and the international community. He also stressed the importance of pressuring the United Nations Security Council, before resorting to discussions on NATO and military intervention.


After the hour-and-a-half-long meeting, the SNC met for six hours with members of the Syrian community in Norway to discuss their perspective on the Revolution and their expectations of the SNC.


The following day, members of the Norwegian press interviewed Dr. Kadi and Mr. Shishakly. Following the interviews, both Dr. Kadi and Mr. Shishakly met with the Office of Islamic Organization. They discussed the Syrian cause and their hopes from Muslims from all over the world, and not just from Syria. After the meeting the SNC representatives answered a variety of questions, the answers to which were designed to enlighten members of the community and provide them with additional information. The SNC received both positive and negative feedback on its performance to date.

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