Delivered by Permanent Representative of Estonia to UN Mr. Sven Jürgenson
First, let me thank Special Envoy Pedersen for his briefing. It is positive that the ceasefire in Idlib largely holds, giving hope to hundreds of thousands displaced Syrians.
However, strong security concerns remain, especially after yesterday’s terrorist attack in Afrin, which killed at least 40 people. Our condolences go to those, who have lost their friends and relatives.
As instability persists – a sustainable nationwide ceasefire remains an imperative for us. Looking long term, achieving accountability is crucial in rebuilding Syrian communities. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the fate of nearly 130 000 people, detained by the Syrian government, remains unknown.
Unfortunately, also the recent announcement of a general amnesty has not led to a release of any political prisoners. We want to highlight the Security Council resolution 2474, championed by our Kuwaiti colleagues last year. In this resolution, the Security Council calls to ‘actively search for persons reported missing and enable the return of their remains’. We keep demanding this from the Syrian government.
Until Damascus decides to cooperate on accountability, others must act. We follow closely the trial of a former Syrian regime officer Anwar Raslan in Germany, who is accused of overseeing the torture of thousands of prisoners. This trial is one of many that will follow. We are convinced that the European authorities are well equipped to shed light on the truth, so justice could be served.
Estonia also welcomes the publication of Secretary General’s BoI summary, which once again established the fact, that the Syrian regime and its allies have deliberately attacked humanitarian locations. We condemn these actions, carried out by the Syrian regime, and in many cases assisted by its Russian ally.
We want to stress that only after bringing perpetrators to justice; it becomes possible to consider supporting Syria’s reconstruction by the international community. This is – and remains – the position of the European Union. Rest assured that the upcoming Brussels Conference IV on supporting Syria would once again emphasize this message in June – our availability comes with responsibility.
Finally, the EU remains determined to enforce its sanctions on Syria, whether against individuals, entities, or specific goods. Claims that these measures somehow undermine the fight against Covid-19 are baseless. EU restrictive measures do not block any items required to counter the outbreak from entering Syria. Humanitarian exemptions are also at the core of all EU sanctions.
Thank you