Remarks to the Press by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia prior to Security Council meeting on the mechanism of cross-border humanitarian assistance for Syria
Q: What is going on in the Security Council at the moment? Has Russia revised or amended its draft?
A: You were being told that ‘evil Russia’ blocks humanitarian assistance to Syria, right? This is not true – I wanted to tell you before we start. I hope we can find a solution today and we are close, but not there yet. I must tell you that all these cries about the imminent catastrophe, disaster which North-East faces if we close one cross-border point are totally irrelevant because humanitarian assistance to that region is coming from within Syria – for a long time, by the way. And it will continue to come. What we are saying is that the situation on the ground has changed dramatically. We have to reflect it. The status quo is inacceptable. We have to close those cross-border points that are not relevant anymore. We still have to leave those that are needed – and that is those in Idlib. For example, the Iraqi cross-border point "Al Yarubiyah” – the Secretariat should have started looking for alternatives long ago; and the alternatives exist. The area is already controlled largely by the Syrian Government, and the humanitarian assistance there should go in accordance with the humanitarian principles which provide for the primary responsibility of the host government initiating, requesting and coordinating humanitarian assistance in accordance with UNGA resolution 46/182.
Q: Can you support the new penholder text that comes up with a new compromise reducing the number of crossing points to two?
A: I am going there to discuss it with them.
