Sabbagh: Washington continues with its blatant violations against Syria, while lecturing about respecting UN Charter and defending international law

Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, affirmed that some of the permanent members of the Security Council, especially the United States, continue to commit flagrant violations against Syria.

Ambassador Sabbagh said during a session of the Security Council yesterday on the political and humanitarian situation in Syria that Syria has been facing serious challenges for the past years, caused by terrorism that was exported from different parts of the world, the illegal military presence of the American and Turkish forces and the repeated Israeli attacks, which were all accompanied by open interference in Syria’s internal affairs and the imposition of an economic blockade and unilateral inhuman measures on the country.

Ambassador Sabbagh said that these challenges constitute blatant violations of the United Nations Charter, the principles of international law and international humanitarian law, and for all relevant Security Council resolutions that provides for respecting  Syria’s sovereignty and independence.

Ambassador Sabbagh indicated that the United States has caused direct and indirect losses to the oil sector in Syria estimated at 115 billion dollars, which requires holding it accountable and obligating it to pay compensation for Syria.

Ambassador Sabbagh said: “In addition, the United States delegate repeated, during today’s session, that her country was adhering to its illegal declaration of the administration of former President Donald Trump in March 2019 regarding the occupied Syrian Golan, which represented a clear contempt for international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, especially Security Council Resolution 497 of the year 1981.”

Sabbagh pointed out that the Israeli occupation continues its attacks on Syrian soil, targeting and bombing infrastructure, vital civil facilities and airports, as it has carried out since the beginning of this year, 30 air attacks. He reiterated Syria’s strong condemnation of these attacks, and its denounciation of the continuation of the silence of some countries that establish themselves as protectors of international humanitarian law and human rights law.

Ambassador Sabbagh said: “We listened to the UN Special envoy to Syria Geir Pederson who visited Damascus recently and met the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and who affirmed Syria’s commitment to a political process led by the Syrians without external interference, and based on respecting Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.”

Ambassador Sabbagh explained that since Syria was granted permission to the United Nations on the 13th of last July to use the Bab Al -Hawa crossing to ensure the continued delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in northwestern Syria, only one convoy has entered from this crossing and under harmful conditions for the United Nations, and that was on September 19th, more than two months after the date of granting permission, due to the obstruction of the terrorist organizations in that region, but “it was surprising that we did not hear a single voice from those countries that were cracking our heads by claiming to ensure the humanitarian needs of the Syrians.”

Ambassador Sabbagh thanked the Undersecretary General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths for the efforts he made in this field, pointing out that the Syrian state, in the context of its keenness on its citizens, opened five crossings, while the demand was to open two crossings.

Ambassador Sabbagh indicated that Syria has created the circumstances and took the necessary decisions regarding the issue of the return of refugees, and it has cooperated with the High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Arab Communication Group to achieve this goal, stressing that Syria welcomes the return of every Syrian refugee who was forced to leave his country because of terrorist groups.

Ambassador Sabbagh said that improving the humanitarian situation in Syria requires the provision of sustainable solutions to support the Syrian people, in a way that reduces dependence on life -saving humanitarian aid, and increases the country’s ability to withstand the challenges and it also requires an immediate and unconditional lifting of the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on Syrian.

Sabbagh said: “Given the fact that this statement is the last at the Security Council before my mission as a permanent delegate for Syria at the UN ends, I express thanks and appreciation to the friendly member states that provided support to Syria”.

O.M