Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
New York, SANA- Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Qusai al-Dahhak, stressed that Syria confronts serious, multifaceted challenges that require continued positive international engagement and the necessary support to overcome them, emphasized the Syrian people are committed to their national unity and reject any attempts to sow discord.
He also reiterated his condemnation of the repeated Israeli aggressions on Syrian territory and called for their immediate cessation.
During a Security Council session on the situation in the Middle East, al-Dahhak said: “Syria faces serious challenges and complex, multifaceted difficulties, which require continued positive international engagement and support for Syria and the Syrians at this critical stage of their present and future.”
He pointed out recently, a number of these challenges have emerged in various forms, as the terrorist organization ISIS targeted the Mar Elias Church in the Douweila area of Damascus on Sunday, June 22, with a terrorist suicide bombing, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of dozens of innocent Syrians.
al-Dahhak added: “This treacherous terrorist attack did not only target those in the church, but also all Syrians and their national unity. Syrians have expressed their categorical rejection and condemnation of it, and security services arrested the members of the terrorist cell that carried them out and brought them to justice.”
He stressed that Israeli occupation entity works to impose a new occupation reality by attempting to undermine Syrian national unity, incite the sedition and hinder efforts to consolidate security and stability.
Syria called on once again Security Council to compel Israeli occupation authorities to fulfill their obligations of Disengagement Agreement 1974, withdraw their forces from the areas they have penetrated over the past months, and end the occupation of Syrian Golan.
Al-Dahhak added: “Syrian government expressed regret over bloody events that took place in Sweida recently and categorically rejected all occupying entity attempts to exploit these events to carry out an aggression”, hailing the government efforts exerted to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.
He also noted that the government, in coordination with UN agencies, succeeded in evacuating UN staff and foreign nationals safely, in addition to sending several humanitarian convoys via Syrian Arab Red Crescent, ensuring their access to the affected areas and supporting needs assessments conducted by Syrian Arab Red Crescent in Sweida and Daraa provinces.
He asserted Syrian government’s pledge to hold accountable perpetrators of the violations took place in Sweida, saying “All Syrians have followed with concern the painful events occurred in Sweida and affirmed their complete rejection of attempts to fragment the country and undermine civil peace and national unity.
In a related context, al-Dahhak said that National Committee for Fact-Finding about incidents occurred in coast had submitted its report to President of Republic, as it also presented important recommendations, including: launching reparations programs for victims, prioritizing projects to improve governance of state institutions, strengthening standards of respect for human rights, and establishing an independent national human rights commission.
The Supreme Committee for People’s Assembly Elections had delivered President of Republic the final version of temporary electoral system, al-Dahhak indicated, despite the positive international diplomatic initiatives towards Syria, yet, the humanitarian situation still deteriorating and does not match the aspirations of Syrians.
Al-Dahhak called on member states to strengthen solidarity with Syria and support the vital civil defense sector to confront disaster damage, underscoring the need to permanently lift sanctions, in addition to the full coordination with Syrian government and commitment to its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
He concluded “One hundred years ago, Syrians from all regions and all national components rose up to defend their unity and to guarantee their free national decision and these hopes were fulfilled, so Syria was among the founding members of our organization in 1945, stressing that all Syrians are still committed to their national identity.
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