The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has denounced the “unlawful” recent trip by a US delegation to an area under the control of Kurdish-led militants from the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeastern part of the country, stating that the visit is in flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty.
According to the reports, the ministry said the illegal presence of the US delegates, headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich, as well as a senior Swedish diplomat on Syrian territory without coordination or prior approval from relative authorities is in contravention of the UN Charter, international law principles as well as UN Security Council’s relevant resolutions, and infringes upon the Damascus government’s authority.
The Syrian foreign ministry made the protest in two identical messages addressed to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the rotating President of the UN Security Council Lana Zaki Nusseibeh.
It roundly dismissed as “shameful” the allegations that the visits sought to alleviate the suffering of the local residents, emphasizing that such claims added to the long list of hypocritical methods employed by various US administrations.
“Syria voices its strong condemnation of such practices, reiterates its determination to establish full sovereignty over all its territories, liberate them from all forms of occupation, and exercise its right to defend the country and its citizens,” the Syrian foreign ministry said.
It called on the international community, the United Nations in particular, to condemn Western countries’ relations with militant groups wreaking havoc in Syria.
On Monday, Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations said Washington is adamantly pursuing a hostile approach and subversive policies against the Syrian government and people through its allied Takfiri terrorist groups, economic sanctions, and other repressive measures.
The Syrian people have vehemently withstood the bloody foreign-sponsored militancy and will not allow anyone to impose their conditions or will on their country, Bassam Sabbagh said.
He dismissed the latest remarks by US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, stating that her statements are nothing but a repetition of what American officials have been uttering ever since the Syrian conflict broke out.
Sabbagh noted that Thomas-Greenfield’s expression of concern about the humanitarian situation in Syria flatly contradicts her country’s imposition of illegal sanctions on the Syrian people.
“It is hypocritical of the US ambassador to voice worries about the plight of Syrians. The remarks were made irrespective of the fact that Washington is itself sponsoring separatists and terrorists wreaking havoc in Syria’s Jazira Region, and continues to plunder the country’s national resources,” the Syrian diplomat said.
