Russia Wants White Helmets Be Removed From Syria ‘as Soon as Possible’: Nebenzia

Damascus and Moscow stress that the White Helmets have staged several provocations involving chemical weapons to influence public opinion and justify foreign intervention in Syria.

Russia wants the White Helmets to be taken away from Syria as quickly as possible, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said during a session of the UN Security Council on Wednesday, according to Sputnik.

 Threat to Security of Region

“The White Helmets are a threat to security of regional states. Therefore, we would ask you, please, take them home as soon as possible. All of them,” Nebenzia said.

At the same time, the Syrian envoy to the UN Bashar Al-Jaafari has called on the security council to launch an investigation into crimes of the US-led coalition and to end its illegal presence in Syria, Sputnik said.

“In order to preserve the credibility of the Security Council, the Council has to launch immediately an investigation into these crimes to ensure and avoid their recurrence and to end the presence of US and other foreign forces in Syria, this illegal presence,” Jaafari said during a Security Council meeting.

Artificial Deadline for Setting up Syria Constitution Committee Rejected

In addition, Nebenzya asked those countries that artificially impose the timeframe for setting up Syria’s constitutional committee to have patience.

“Just like all other partners, we want the committee to be formed as soon as possible,” Nebenzya told a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session on Syria on Wednesday. “The deadline is set up artificially, but chasing after it is counter-productive in this case,” he noted, according to Itar Tass.

Nebenzya addressed his UNSC colleagues with a question of why “deadlines are not being set for settlement of other crises – in Palestine and Israel, in Libya, Yemen.” “Let’s also demand setting up a deadline for these cases, without taking into account the interests of the sides [in those conflicts] and the current situation,” the diplomat said. A trustworthy process requires agreement from all sides, and “this takes time, so patience is needed here,” he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, US Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Jonathan Cohen told the UNSC session that Washington supports an urgent convention of the committee on developing the new Syrian consitution. Cohen said that setting up the constitutional committee in November is not hasty or untimely. He added that a unique opportunity for political settlement has emerged now, and any delays may have unfavorable consequences.

The decision to set up a constitutional committee tasked with developing recommendations for amending Syria’s constitution was made at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress held on January 30 in Sochi. On September 29, the “small group” on Syria (UK, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, US and France) led by the United States has asked UN special envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura to facilitate a session of the constitutional committee in Geneva and report to UNSC on progress no later than on October 31. Damascus and Moscow have spoken against the attempts of Western countries to set up artificial deadlines for establishing the committee.

 H.M