European interlocutors make it clear that they are terrified of the impact of Caesar's Act on the imposition of sanctions against the Syrian regime on the ability to conduct economic business with the Arab republic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday in an interview on the program "Bolshaya igra " ("The Big game") on Channel One Russia.
"About how sanctions affect civilians: look at what is happening in Syria as a result of the Caesar's Act. My interlocutors in Europe and, incidentally, in the region whisper that they are horrified by the fact that this act has cut off any possibility of somehow conducting economic business with Syria," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
The Minister stressed that the aim of the restrictions on Damascus was announced: "to strangle the Syrian people so that they would rise up and overthrow [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad."
Caesar's Law was included in the US military budget for fiscal year 2020 (which began on Ocotober 1, 2019) and signed into law by then acting President Donald Trump on December 20, 2019. The law gives the US administration the right to impose restrictive measures against organizations and individuals providing direct and indirect support to the government of Syria, as well as various armed formations operating in the country, which, according to the US, are supported by Syrian, Russian and Iranian authorities.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS