Unilateral sanctions by the United States and the European Union against Syria cripple the country's economy and harm ordinary Syrians, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said at the IV Brussels donor conference "Supporting the future of Syria and the region". The text of his speech was posted on the website of the Russian diplomatic service on Tuesday.
According to him, Moscow always supports increasing humanitarian assistance to all Syrians without politicization and preconditions. "We were guided by this when we decided to participate in the next Brussels conference," the diplomat said. - It is regrettable that on the eve of the conference on May 28, the European Union decided to extend illegal unilateral sanctions against Syria, imposed in circumvention of the UN Security Council. Before that, on May 7, a similar decision was made in Washington, and then on June 17, it was reinforced by the entry into force of the so-called Caesar's Act."
"This law and sanctions are allegedly aimed at protecting the civilian population in Syria, but in reality they cripple the Syrian economy and hit ordinary Syrians," Vershinin said. - Thus, the call of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to suspend restrictions in the context of a common global challenge - the coronavirus pandemic was virtually ignored."
The Deputy Minister also expressed concern about the serious deterioration of the socio-economic situation in Syria. "The Syrian economy, infrastructure and social facilities have really suffered huge damage as a result of many years of armed confrontation and aggression by terrorists," he said. "One of the reasons for the current difficult situation is unilateral sanctions, the negative effect of which can not be compensated by either donor contributions or declared humanitarian exemptions, which do not work in practice."
Thus, Syrians who have survived the worst years of war and rampant terrorism are now forced to resist "economic strangulation" and a sanctions blockade, Vershinin concluded.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Valery Sharifulin / TASS