NOURNEWS- Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement in response to a statement from the European Commission that humanitarian aid to Syria had been provided: "Syria has been living under unilateral and illegal sanctions for years without the approval of the Security Council." It has made it difficult for a human being to enter this country.
The statement added that the EU's continued policy of imposing sanctions on Syria contradicts the request of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to reduce or suspend international restrictions that prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
"If you look at the European Union's guidelines on aid to Syria, its political nature is very clear, and in fact the possibility of sending humanitarian and medical aid to Syria through the European Union with the existing sanctions has been eliminated," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"More than 300 Syrian legal entities and citizens are on the EU sanctions list, and before cooperating with it, European economic actors must give their national organizations a convincing explanation that the Syrian authorities, drugs and medical equipment, and so on," the statement said. They will not sell or benefit from humanitarian aid.
Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement that the European Commission's statement on aid to Syria was not intended to help Syria but to show the bureaucratic obstacles to helping Europe's economic agents.
"In other words, another attempt has been made to give a humanitarian look to EU sanctions, which has in fact led to the mass exodus of Syrians living in areas controlled by the Syrian government."
The statement said: "Areas controlled by the Syrian opposition are not subject to sanctions, and this is a profitable move that violates the principles of neutrality in international humanitarian aid."
At the end of its statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry called on the European Union to lift unilateral sanctions on Syria and to show solidarity with the suffering people of the country and to take part in the fight against the coronavirus.
IRNA
NOURNEWS