Zakharova: Unilateral Coercive Economic Measures against Syria Are Harming Its People

MOSCOW-Russian Foreign Ministry affirmed that the unilateral coercive economic measures imposed on Syria are harming the Syrian people and impeding the process of rebuilding the country, calling for lifting them.

According to SANA, the Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow welcomes any initiatives by the international community aimed at providing practical assistance to Syria and its people and achieving a settlement based on the international law, foremost of which is the UN Security Council Resolution No.2254.

 Speaking about the humanitarian situation in southern Syria, Zakharova said that the situation is improving in coincidence with the Syrian Arab Army’s achievements on the ground.

She affirmed that these achievements over terrorism in Syria and the return of stability to most of the country’s territory pave the way for the start of work to overcome one of the most serious consequences of the crisis in Syria, which is the displaced Syrians.

The spokeswoman pointed out that the return of the displaced requires rebuilding the economic and social infrastructure and the creation of new jobs in addition to demining, which are difficult tasks for the Syrian government to implement alone.

Moscow considers that joint efforts for the return of the displaced and the economic and social reconstruction of Syria is necessary to achieve the task of final elimination of Daesh (ISIS) and other terrorist organizations and remove the causes that produce the ideology of terrorism and extremism, she said.

Zakharova pointed out that her country does not rule out the occurrence of provocations using chemical weapons in Idleb by the terrorists to accuse the Syrian Arab Army.

She added that there is information about the arrival of large numbers of vehicles carrying members of the “White Helmets” to the city of Idleb, including specialists in chemistry.

Zakharova said that large quantities of rocket weapons had been transferred and that there is no doubt that these missiles will be used by the “White Helmets” for propaganda purposes, citing intentions to produce news and concoctions that the Syrian army is bombing Idleb with chemical weapons, a scenario in which everything is possible, including l large-scale provocations.