CSTO FMs Reiterate Support for Syria’s Sovereignty, Integrity

YEREVAN- Foreign ministers of member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) have spoken in support of Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

The ministers “reiterate their support to Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and call for the soonest uprooting of the terrorist threat and putting an end to the crisis in that country by political and diplomatic means via a broad intra-Syrian dialogue, without preliminary conditions and external interference,” the ministers said in a statement adopted at a meeting of the Council of CSTO Foreign Ministers on Monday, according to Itar Tass.

 The sides hailed “the efforts of the co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group towards ensuring and strengthening the cessation of hostilities agreement in Syria.

They called “for setting up a united front to combat international terrorism and extremism in that country, with the key role allocated to the United Nations Security Council,” according to the statement.

Member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization “stand for consolidation of international efforts, including to safely block channels of financing of terrorism,” the statement says.

The foreign ministers stressed the “importance of ensuring efficiency of the Geneva talks between the Syrian authorities and the wide spectrum of the Syrian “opposition” under the auspices of the United Nations so that the Syrians could decide the future of their country.”

The CSTO top diplomats expressed “profound concern over the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Syria.” They stressed “the necessity of reliable humanitarian access to people affected by the conflict in line with the international humanitarian law and called to stop unilateral sanctions that undermine the country’s economy.”

H.M