Opponents of a political settlement in Syria have switched to using methods of financial and economic strangulation of the country in order to overthrow the legitimate government, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of mass unrest in Syria, the text of which was announced Friday at a briefing by the diplomatic mission's spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
"After the failure of previous years of attempts by anti-Syrian forces to achieve the goal of overthrowing the legitimate government of this country by force - at the hands of bandits and terrorists - they have switched to methods of financial and economic strangulation," the document said. - "For this purpose, they use unilateral restrictive measures, block the provision of foreign aid, create obstacles to the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to the territories under the control of the Syrian government. Moreover, selective assistance provided by Western countries to their customers in Syria can only consolidate the existing fault lines in Syrian society and stimulate separatist sentiments in the areas that are artificially segregated today".
The Russian diplomatic mission described as "inhuman and unconstructive" the approaches of those who put forward "political demands in the issues of providing humanitarian assistance to Syrians, especially in the conditions of the pandemic of new coronavirus infection.
"Syrians are actually being punished for not wanting to live according to the molds imposed on them from the outside," the statement said. - We see this as further evidence of the double standards applied by our opponents to Syria, which they are trying to turn into a hostage of narrow geopolitical interests, a territory of permanent internal conflicts and an arena for settling scores with external forces. It is not surprising that that position has been taken by those States that have directly contributed to fuelling the Syrian fire and have provided and continue to provide support to anti-Government forces, including terrorists. It is they who bear the main responsibility for the ongoing Syrian tragedy."
"We call on all those who are really interested in a speedy resolution of the crisis in Syria to abandon politicized approaches and take an effective part in providing international assistance to the Syrian people, primarily in addressing acute socio-economic problems and humanitarian challenges," the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.
Russia's position
Unrest in Syria that began on March 15, 2011, has rapidly transformed because of the outside interference in the armed conflict, in the foreground of which the illegal armed groups appeared. The country was subjected to unprecedented aggression by international terrorism, the statement said.
"Taking an uncompromising stance against international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and providing military assistance for its elimination on Syrian land, Russia firmly and consistently advocates a political settlement of the internal conflict in Syria," the diplomatic office pointed out. - "We are deeply convinced that there is no military solution. We are committed to a political process, led and implemented by the Syrians themselves, on the basis of UN Security Council resolution 2254".
The Russian side is doing its best to promote inter-Syrian dialogue and contacts between the Syrian government and opposition and is instructing the Syrian sides to make the discussions regular and constructive, the statement said. "At the same time, we are convinced of the need for Syrians to independently develop a common vision of the future of their homeland without any external pressure and the establishment of artificial deadlines for the final result," the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed. - The imperative of our policy in the Syrian direction has always been and will remain respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria.
In connection with the tragic anniversary of the beginning of the devastating and bloody events in Syria, Smolenskaya Square recalled "the numerous terrorist atrocities against civilians and pseudo-humanitarian White Helmets' provocations using chemical weapons, inspired by their Western patrons." "As we know, it is the far-fetched accusations against the Syrian government of war crimes that have repeatedly been used by the Americans and their allies to justify strikes on Syrian territory in violation of international law and in circumvention of the UN Security Council," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
"We consider the facilitation of the voluntary and safe return of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes as a crucial step toward restoring national unity in Syria," the statement said.- We are convinced that the solution to the urgent humanitarian problem of ensuring decent living conditions for millions of Syrians who have suffered in exile requires the participation of the entire international community".
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Press Service of the Russian Foreign Ministry / TASS
Based on materials from TASS