Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
New York, SANA- Syria’s Permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, has affirmed that Western countries’ persistence in the policies of economic terrorism and collective punishment, and the continued aggressive and destructive practices of the Israeli occupation, the Turkish regime and terrorist organizations, towards Syria impede its efforts to achieve stability.
Ambassador Sabbagh’s remarks came during a session of the Security Council on Syria held Monday.
He added that while the Syrian government continues to strengthen its efforts to achieve economic and social stability, improve the living conditions of the Syrians and facilitate the dignified, safe and voluntary return of the displaced and refugees, the practices of terrorism, aggression and destruction continue against it through the Turkish regime’s threats to launch new acts of aggression and the direct acts of aggression carried out by the Israeli occupation, in addition to the attacks launched by terrorist organizations.
Sabbagh said that the Israeli aggression that affected Damascus International Airport on the tenth of this June caused huge damage to the two landing strips, the technical equipment in it and the passenger hall, as it complete went out of service, which has serious political, humanitarian, military and economic repercussions that affect all Syrians and the countries of the region, including those who depend on the support provided by the United Nations through its humanitarian flights which are run from Damascus airport and which have been completely suspended.
Sabbagh noted that the UN Resident Coordinator in Syria confirmed in a statement issued on June 13th that the United Nations humanitarian flights had facilitated the movement of 2,143 humanitarian workers, transporting life-saving supplies and providing basic support and services to more than two million Syrians in the provinces of Aleppo, Hasaka, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa which stopped completely after the treacherous Israeli aggression on the civilian airport facility.
Sabbagh expressed astonishment at the persistence of some Western countries in covering up the Israeli aggression and its effects on humanitarian work, and not allowing the Security Council to condemn it as a flagrant violation of international law, international humanitarian law and the legally established protection of civilian facilities.
Sabbagh said: “In clear coordination with the Israeli enemy, which has endangered navigation and civilian air and sea transport, as well as the lives and safety of innocent civilians, threats and statements of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are escalating about his intention to launch military action on Syrian territory in the north with the aim of establishing what it calls a (safe zone).”
Sabbagh added that these statements, which clearly express the aggressive policies of the Erdogan regime, come as a continuation of its other subversive practices to destabilize security and stability in Syria through its support for terrorism, population displacement and demographic change, in addition to the Turkification policy, which is considered an ethnic cleansing in the geographical areas where its illegal forces and their agents of terrorist organizations spread.
Sabbagh added that terrorist organizations continue to commit crimes against the Syrians, the latest of which was the attack on a civilian passenger bus on Monday morning on the Raqqa-Homs highway, which led to the martyrdom of eleven army personnel and two civilians and the wounding of others.
“We are aware of the challenges facing the efforts of Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths and his team in cooperation with the Syrian government to provide support to the Syrians, as a result of the obstacles imposed by Western countries and donors who chose to politicize humanitarian work and employ it against my country,” Sabbagh said.
Sabbagh stressed that Syria holds the United States, Britain and France fully responsible for the failure to implement the core pillars of Resolution 2585, and stresses the need not to be drawn into the misleading and deceitful campaigns promoted by those countries.
He renewed the call for an immediate and unconditional cessation of the policies of economic terrorism and collective punishment represented by the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States of America and the European Union on the Syrian people.
Sabbagh called on the Security Council and the Secretary-General to assume their responsibilities to stop the aggressive actions which target Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, and to end the illegal foreign military presence on its lands and the associated sponsorship of terrorist organizations and separatist militias, and the looting of national wealth and the country’s capabilities.
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
