I thank Special Envoy Pedersen and Undersecretary Lowcock for their briefings on both the political and humanitarian situation in Syria.
We cautiously welcome the concluding of Syrian Constitutional Committee talks in Geneva at the beginning of this month. This process remains an important pillar in reaching a political agreement to end the war in Syria.
We look forward to the next session of the Committee in January, which would finally concentrate on the constitution itself. We hope that in the future this process can also pave way to discussing other confidence building measures between the government in Damascus and its legitimate opposition.
We remind the Syrian government and its allies that the European Union will not support Syria’s reconstruction and lift sanctions until a genuine political process is firmly in place. I would also like to stress that the current economic crisis in Syria is mostly a result of widespread corruption, warlordism, and lack of good governance.
Mr. President – during the conflict, at least 400 000 people have lost their lives, and millions of others deprived from their homes and livelihoods. Unfortunately, the Security Council has not been able to take necessary actions to end this tragedy.
Instead, we continue to witness human rights violations, chemical attacks, air raids, torture, and broken promises by the Syrian regime. Here in New York, Russia makes sure that nothing meaningful passes through the Council to stop these atrocities.
We regret the double vetoes of Russia and China against the cross-border mechanism this summer, which went directly against the wish of other Council members and the interest of Syrian people. 13 in favour, and 2 against – we heard these words more than once last year.
The promises of replacing cross-border deliveries with cross-line aid have fallen short in their substance. Cross-line aid is dysfunctional, irregular, and unreliable. This a fact that cannot be overlooked.
But Moscow does not believe in tears, so humanitarians have to push their limits and work tirelessly. Eight hundred trucks with vital aid are expected to enter Idlib from Turkey this month, as winter preparations are happening across the country. I thank OCHA for its continued efforts to bring relief to millions on the ground.
Finally, I also want to extent my sincere gratitude to Syria humanitarian penholders Germany and Belgium for reminding the Council of the humanitarian principles it must uphold. Don’t forget that eleven of us followed you through the most critical moments, and only two looked the other way.
I am sure you keep working on Syria even after leaving the Council as elected members. Once again – I thank you and your teams for your dedication and professionalism.