DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – Russian and Syrian authorities have urged the United States to completely remove all economic sanctions and punitive measures against Damascus, and withdraw its occupation forces from the energy-rich northern parts of the war-ravaged Arab country.
“The strict sanctions, enforced by the U.S. and its European allies, and the illegal deployment of foreign military forces on the Syrian soil have negative impacts on social, economic and humanitarian situations in the country,” the Russian and Syrian Joint Coordination Committees on Repatriation of Syrian Refugees said in a joint statement on Thursday.
The statement highlighted that removal of the sanctions would help reconstruction of Syria, arguing that certain countries seek to politicize humanitarian issues, such as aid delivery to displaced people.
Meanwhile, Syria’s minister of foreign and expatriates affairs said Western states are impeding the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
Faisal Mekdad made the comments in the joint meeting which kicked off in capital Damascus on Thursday, official SANA news agency reported.
He emphasized that Damascus seeks to bring back its displaced people, urging them once again to return to their homes and contribute to rebuilding what have been destroyed by foreign-backed militancy and terrorism since 2011.
Mekdad stressed that Syria will not surrender to those who plot against it, stressing that it will continue to defend its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
The Syrian government says it has provided a supportive environment for the return of Syrian refugees, and that it is trying to rehabilitate areas recently liberated from the grip of foreign-backed terrorists.
Damascus keeps providing necessary health, educational and nutritional requirements for the displaced. However, according to Syrian authorities, the citizens held in al-Hawl and Rukban camps face all forms of deprivation and humiliation by the U.S. occupation and its mercenaries.
Separately, the speaker of the Jordanian House of Representatives, Abdul Karim al-Daghmi, called for Syria to be fully reinstated to the Arab League when Algeria hosts the next Arab summit in March.
“We, as the Arab Parliament, must put pressure on our governments and ask our leaders to green-light Syria’s return to the Arab League when next summit convenes in Algeria, and to allow its delegation to participate in the Arab Parliament sessions as well,” Daghmi said in a press conference on the sidelines of a session of the Arab Parliament in Amman on Thursday.
He noted, “It is now high time for Syria to return to its Arab origins and rejoin the Arab League.”
“Today, we must build on victories achieved by our brethren in Syria and Iraq over terrorist groups; step up our efforts in support of the unity, security and stability of our nations as well as the territorial integrity of our countries; and reject all forms of interference,” Daghmi pointed out.