Nebenzya: US Coercive economic measures imposed on Syria, illegal and they impede political solution

NEW YORK, (ST)-  The unilateral coercive economic measures imposed on Syria are illegitimate and they impede the political solution to the crisis in the country, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya said on Friday during a Security Council session.

He made it clear that the illegal unilateral sanctions, being used as a collective punishment tool to create social discontent, block the efforts being exerted to realize peace in Syria.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing that the US restrictions are stalling the process of political settlement in Syria, worsening the sufferings of the Syrian people and hampering  the work of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva.

 Nebenzya also criticized the recent open recognition of US President Donald Trump that he considered targeting President Bashar al- Assad.

“We have recently heard about plans for targeting a president of a sovereign state..what kind of policy is this if it is not the policy of regime change?,” Nebenzya asked, calling all the parties that disrespect the international law to abandon such behavior, in a clear reference to the United States.

 Commenting on Trump’s remarks, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that that the current US administration represents a rogue and an outlawed state that adopts the same method used by terrorist organizations in killing and liquidation regardless to any principles or rules in order to serve its interests.

Hamda Mustafa