Nebenzya: Russia Aims to Prevent Politicization of Humanitarian Aid to Syria and Refugees Return Files

NEW YORK, (ST)- Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya has stressed that Moscow will press ahead with its efforts to prevent politicizing the files of the humanitarian and economic aid to Syria and the return of displaced Syrians to their homeland.

“We will continue working as to prevent the politicization of the files of the economic and humanitarian aid to Syria and the return of the Syrian refugees to their homeland,” Nebenzya told Itar Tass in an interview ahead of a high-level week of the 73rd UN General Assembly, affirming that Russia will relentlessly continue the fight against terrorist organizations.

 He pointed out that the three guarantor states of Astana process on Syria are exerting great efforts to give the political process in the country a push forward.

Nebenzya went on to say that the “latest summit of the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey in Tehran and the Russian-Turkish agreement on Idleb reached in Sochi were met by positive reactions by the international community.”

He pointed out that Moscow may take part in a new meeting on Syria to be organized by the European Union with the purpose of convincing western countries to give up their evil policies towards Syria.  

Elsewhere in the interview, Nebenzya said that Russia expects that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will meet Moscow’s demand to take steps in respect of the organization’s provocative directive on Syria, which stonewalls the country’s reconstruction.

He stressed that the directive, which was drafted by a branch of the UN Secretariat late last year, is absolutely illegitimate, it has not been agreed by the member-states and runs counter to the neutral spirit of the organization.

Hamda Mustafa