Abu Dhabi (Etihad)
The United Arab Emirates affirmed that the stability of Syria is an essential pillar of Arab security, and stressed in a statement before the Security Council on the “political and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic” the urgent need to find concrete and effective solutions to end the Syrian crisis through a practical and logical approach. Pointing out that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s visit to the country comes within the framework of stressing the importance of an effective Arab role in discussing ways to solve the Syrian crisis rather than just managing it. It renewed its support for the efforts of the United Nations to reach a political solution in accordance with Resolution 2254, its rejection of foreign interference in Syria, and the need to respect its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. She noted the priority of providing medical supplies to the Syrian people, pointing to the completion of the construction of two field hospitals to treat those infected with Covid-19 in Damascus and Aleppo, and the continuation of the delivery of humanitarian aid across the border to Syria, based on Resolution 2585. She stressed that a political solution to the Syrian crisis is still possible if Efforts have been concerted to overcome the current obstacles and move from managing the crisis to solving it, in order to meet the aspirations and basic needs of the Syrian people.
The UAE statement noted the briefing of Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, who shed light on the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on neighboring Arab countries, pointing out that the last briefing of the League of Arab States to the Council on Syria was in 2012. It stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the Council and the League to find solutions Arab crises, including the Syrian crisis, where the stability of Syria is a fundamental pillar of Arab security.
With the war in Syria entering its twelfth year and causing more than 6.5 million refugees to seek refuge around the world, the UAE believes that there is an urgent need to find concrete and effective solutions to end the Syrian crisis by adopting a practical and logical approach. Within the framework of our general tendency to find diplomatic solutions to crises and our call for the importance of an effective Arab role in discussing ways to solve the Syrian crisis instead of merely managing it, the Syrian President’s visit to the UAE came within the framework of this direction.
In this direction, we continue to support the efforts of the United Nations to reach a political solution in accordance with Resolution 2254, including the endeavors of Envoy Geir Pedersen, to promote convergence of regional and international political views to address the effects of the Syrian crisis. We also welcome the convening of the seventh session of the Constitutional Committee and the positive developments it witnessed regarding the agreement to discuss constitutional principles during the past few days. All parties must build on this by continuing to engage in dialogue in good faith, and by taking concrete steps in this direction. Also, in the context of our call to strengthen the Arab role in efforts to end the Syrian crisis, we renew our rejection of foreign interference in Syria and the need to respect its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
The statement continued, “As a transition to the humanitarian situation, we note that it is not possible to continue to leave the brotherly Syrian people, especially the displaced, facing difficult conditions in which they lack the most basic needs of electricity, food and potable water. Syrian children have been particularly affected by these conditions, as most of them have lived through the ravages of war and its consequences. The economic crisis also affected every Syrian, as the World Food Program reported that food prices in Syria had risen to unprecedented levels during the past months, which portends a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
He added, “The issue of providing medical supplies to the Syrian people remains a priority in light of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic throughout Syria, as the rate of people receiving full doses of the vaccine is only about six percent, which requires greater focus from the international community. In this context, the UAE has completed the construction of two field hospitals to treat people infected with COVID-19 in Damascus and Aleppo. In addition to supporting a program to vaccinate Syrian refugees in Jordan, which included 12,000 refugees in the Emirati-Jordanian camp in Marajeeb Al Fhood, Zaatari, Azraq, and Al Hadaqa camps. We note here the importance of providing support to the Arab countries affected by the Syrian crisis, especially in terms of the need to provide basic services to refugees, namely the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Iraq, the Republic of Lebanon and the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The statement stressed the importance of continuing cross-border humanitarian aid delivery to Syria, based on Resolution 2585, and the need for the relevant parties to cooperate on the ground to ensure the resumption of aid deliveries across conflict lines to all those in need. He also stressed that a political solution to the Syrian crisis is still possible if efforts are combined to overcome the current obstacles and move from managing the crisis to solving it, in order to meet the aspirations and basic needs of the brotherly Syrian people.
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