With the participation of Syria, the second meeting of the national coordinators of Group of Friends in Defense of UN Charter in Venezuela kicks off in Caracas

Caracas, (ST) – The second meeting of the National Coordinators of the Group of Friends in Defense the United Nations Charter kicked off yesterday in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Syria participated in this meeting represented by the National Coordinator of the Group, Ambassador Qusay Al-Dahhak, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and the Syrian Ambassador to Venezuela, Kenan Zahreddine.

In a speech during the opening, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto stressed the importance of the group in defending the United Nations Charter and its principles, foremost among which are the principles of sovereignty, equality between states, and non-interference in internal affairs.

Gil Pinto criticized the policies of the United States and its imposition of illegal coercive measures. He stressed the need to achieve greater consistency in the group’s work and strengthen its work to deal with the challenges facing our countries.

In turn, Ambassador Al-Dahhak expressed Syria’s solidarity with Venezuela and other countries of the group in the face of Western pressure, unilateral coercive measures, and attempts by Washington and its allies to interfere in its internal affairs, destabilize it, and undermine its national choices.

Al-Dahhak stressed the importance of the meeting, which is being held at a time when the world is witnessing great challenges and grave violations of international law and the principles and purposes established by the United Nations Charter as a result of acts of aggression, occupation, support for terrorism, imposition of coercive measures and inhumane blockade.

Al-Dahhak also referred to Washington and a number of its allies’ support for the genocide committed by the Israeli occupation in Gaza Strip, and its repeated attacks on Syria and the countries of the region.

Al-Dahhak pointed to the challenges that Syria faces as a result of aggressive Western practices, the illegal American and Turkish military presence on Syrian territories, Israeli attacks, and unilateral coercive measures. He called on the countries of the group to strengthen their joint work and push it to achieve the complete, immediate and unconditional lifting of these coercive measures and blockade policies imposed by the United States and the European Union.

He also called on enhancing cooperation and coordination in international forums, intensifying bilateral cooperation, and supporting Syria’s efforts to improve humanitarian and living conditions, advance the economy, and work to achieve sustainable development goals.

Al-Dahhak stressed the need to confront attempts to undermine the United Nations Charter and replace it with the so-called “rules-based system” promoted by Western countries.

The features of this system have been revealed again, over the past months, in light of the support of the American administration and its allies for Israel and its use of its veto five times to enable the occupation authorities to continue their crimes against the people of Gaza and the countries of the region.

Raghda Sawas