US reaffirms no rebuilding aid for Syria without progress on political talks: State Dept

The United States reaffirms that it will not provide any reconstruction aid to Syria until there is progress on the UN-led political process, two State Department special envoys said in a joint press release on Tuesday.

"We also reaffirm there will be no reconstruction assistance and no legitimacy for the Syrian government absent irreversible progress in the UN-sponsored political process," US Special Representative for Syria Engagement Jim Jeffrey and Special Envoy Joel Rayburn said in the release.

The officials said the United States is determined to reach a political solution that separates the Syrian government from Iran and its proxies, ensures Damascus does not threaten its regional neighbors, and ensures it guarantees the safe return of displaced persons, among other requests.

The Small Group on Syria, which is made up of Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States, last week called on the United Nations to immediately form a constitutional committee to draft a new Syrian constitution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Small Group's actions are aimed at eliminating everything that was achieved within the framework of the Astana process. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said the Small Group has a negative influence on the UN-led peace process and doubts countries that have plotted against Syria for years would have the wellbeing of its people in mind.