Former Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Jalali told TV “Al Arabiya“ that he agreed to hand over power to the “Government of Salvation” to the rebels, reported Reuters.
The upcoming transfer of power will follow 13 years of civil war and end more than 50 years of brutal rule by the Assad family, the agency said. Syrians inside the country, as well as the millions of refugees abroad, are hopeful, but still feel significant uncertainty about their country's future.
The capital Damascus has returned to life with cars and people on the streets after the overnight curfew, but most shops are still closed.
Fighters from the distant countryside roam the capital and gather in the central square.
The Prime Minister appointed by Assad - Mohammed Jalali, told the TV "Al Arabiya" that he agreed to hand over power to the "Government of Salvation". – an administration based in a small rebel territory in the northwest of the country. According to him, the transfer of power may take days.
Main rebel commander Ahmed al-Shareh, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Jowlani, met with Jalali and Vice President Faisal Mekdad last night to discuss a transitional government, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters.
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Television “Al Jazeera“ announced that the head of the transitional government will be Mohammed al-Bashir, who was also the head of the “Government of Salvation” before the start of the lightning offensive in which Damascus was captured.
A source close to the rebels in Idlib confirmed that Bashir has been nominated, but this has not been officially announced at this time.
Banks in Syria will resume operations today and employees have been asked to return to their jobs, a Syrian central bank source and two commercial bankers said.
The interior furnishings in the building of the Ministry of the Interior have been ransacked and the employees are not at their jobs. Armed rioters are on site to maintain order.
The permanent representatives of the member countries of the UN Security Council took part in a closed-door meeting dedicated to the situation in Syria, BTA reported.
After the meeting, Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzya said that "The Council, at least I think, was more or less united around the need to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of Syria, to ensure the protection of civilians, to guarantee access to humanitarian aid".
"But we were all surprised by the turn of events, everyone, including the members of the Council. Therefore, we have to wait to see how the situation will develop", he added and assured that in this context the Council is not ready to immediately rule on the matter.
"No one expected that the Syrian forces would collapse like a house of cards," said the US Deputy Permanent Representative to the Council Robert Wood. "As many stated during the consultations, the situation is extremely volatile and will probably change every day for the time being," he added.
In spite of everything, everyone at the meeting said that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Syria must be respected, and everyone expressed concern about the humanitarian situation, added the American representative. He said the Council would work on a common declaration to speak with one voice.
"We will see if we can reach a unified message in the coming days," he added.
Since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011. The council is largely paralyzed on the Syrian issue, with Russia regularly using its veto power to protect the Bashar al-Assad regime.
When asked about the possibility of removing the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the rebel coalition that overthrew the regime in Syria, from the UN sanctions list, the Russian and American ambassadors said that the Council had not yet discussed this question.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed in a telephone conversation the transition period in Syria, as well as possible steps to rebuild the country, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said, quoted by Reuters and BNR.
Fidan and Guterres also discussed access to humanitarian aid in Syria.
The two exchanged ideas on how the UN can help rebuild Syria, the quoted source said.
The US is determined not to allow the "Islamic State" (IS) to rebuild or establish its own safe havens in Syria.
This was stated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and called to do everything possible "to avoid fragmentation" of the country, AFP reported, quoted by BNR.
"Islamic State" will try to take advantage of this period to restore its capacity and fighting ability and to create its fortifications. As our precision strikes this weekend show, we are determined to prevent that,'' Blinken said at a ceremony at the State Department.
Blinken noted that the Syrian people must choose their own future. Statements by rebel leaders to build a broadly representative government are welcome, but the real measure will be the actions they take, he added, quoted by Reuters.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are ready, under certain conditions, to cooperate with the new leaders of Syria, France Press reported, citing BTA, referring to the German chancellery. p>
The two had a telephone conversation and agreed that they are ready to cooperate with the new leaders of Syria, but on the basis of respect for fundamental human rights and the protection of ethnic and religious minorities," the German chancellery said in a statement.
The two leaders have again emphasized that it is important to preserve the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria. They agreed to work together to strengthen the EU's engagement in Syria, in particular by supporting an inclusive political process in Syria, in close cooperation with their partners in the Middle East.
Western capitals rejoiced at the fall of the regime of Bashar Assad, but at the same time they fear chaos, like that in Libya after the overthrow of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, notes France Press.