Moscow Calls for Immediate Lifting of US, EU Sanctions on Syria

MOSCOW-Russia is urging the instant lifting of unilateral US and EU sanctions from Syria, because these restrictions have adverse effects on the humanitarian situation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Tuesday.

“According to the findings of the UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia the sanctions have been causing strong unfavorable effects on the humanitarian situation in Syria since the middle of 2012. Restrictions in banking have considerably limited humanitarian activity, in the first place, the restoration of infrastructures, paralyzed the pharmaceutical industry, and proved one of the main factors for inflation,” she said.

 “We are urging instant termination of illegal unilateral sanctions that seriously undermine the humanitarian position of Syrian citizens,” Zakharova said.

Zakharova said that the theme of humanitarian assistance to the Syrians was not a subject matter for bargaining, but some members of the International Syria Support Group were trying to do precisely that. For instance, they proposed additional patterns of airdropping humanitarian supplies in a number of besieged areas without consent from Damascus.

“Instead, the opponents of Damascus should be focused on tighter work with the armed groups in Syria which they are in contact with and which prevent humanitarian access to the territories they surround. In particular, a UN mission has been unable to get into the villages of Fua and Kefraya, besieged by militants, for several months,” Zakharova said.

Itar Tass

H.M