Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at the UN Security Council Meeting on Syria
Mr. President,
We thank Assistants to the Secretary-General Khaled Khiari and Ursula Mueller for their briefings. We appreciate the report by Director of UNMAS Agnès Marcaillou about the relevant work on that matter that is carried out in Syria.
On 22 October, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey regarding the situation in the North-East of Syria. Its contents is known, as both us and our Turkish colleagues have already publicized it. However, let me point out its key provisions that are meant to stabilize the situation.
When making this arrangement we proceeded from the assumption that both Turks and Syrians as neighbors should jointly be protecting the “tranquility line” while accounting for interests of each other. We underscore that our Iranian as well as Syrian partners welcomed these agreements.
We stated on many occasions that we have understanding for the desire of Turkey to take steps that should ensure its national security. It is vital to realize that the problem in the North-East of Syria has not emerged overnight. The reason for destabilization in the Euphrates region is the illegal occupation of this area and a dangerous experiment of demographical engineering that was carried out there as an attempt to counterpose the Arab and the Kurdish population.
The Turkish-Russian memorandum that is crucial for stabilization in Syria, i.a. in humanitarian area that we discuss today, clearly reconfirms our commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, non-acceptance of any separatist trends at its territory. Agreements were made to terminate active military phase of the Turkish operation and to deploy Syrian border-control officers at the border with Turkey. We have long emphasized that solution to the issue with aspirations of Kurds, who constitute an inalienable part of multiethnic Syrian community, is impossible without restored control of the Syrian government over the entire national territory and border. We stand ready to continuously assist the Syrian authorities and Kurds in establishing a broad dialogue on relevant issues.
Besides, in accordance with the memorandum and as agreed with Damascus, we will promote implementation of the Adana Agreement in present-day circumstances for the purpose of lifting concerns of both sides – Turkey and Syria – in the area of border security. Russian military police has already arrived at the Syrian side of Syrian-Turkish border. After Kurdish self-defense units withdraw from there as per the agreed schedule, we will start patrolling the 10-kilometer zone jointly with Turkish entities.
We proceed from the assumption that eventually Syria should be liberated from illegal foreign military presence. Let me repeat: reliable and lasting stabilization and solution to humanitarian issues can only be ensured if sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country are upheld.
We share the concerns about growing terrorist threat. Another important element of the memorandum is continued fight against terrorism and prevention of a situation, where terrorists might make use of the current developments to galvanize attacks and rescue those who have been kept in prisons in the North-East of Syria. We call upon those who established and maintained those prisons not to shift their responsibility, which is to make sure that all sorts of jihadists do not get scattered throughout the region.
We also warn against dividing terrorists into “the bad and the good ones”. No matter what you call these groups – ISIL, “Jabhat al-Nusra”, “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham”, etc – all of them profess the idiology of terror, murder, and violence. Let us once again warn everyone against “flirting” with one group of jihadists or another in order to achieve opportunistic goals; against providing material or financial support to them, or, even worse – against attempting to present them as “moderate radicals”. For example, we see such attempts in Idlib, and we will be supressing them. Speaking about the Idlib de-escalation zone, we must say the situation there remains uneasy. The “regime of silence” that entered into force on 31 August is still in place, though militants violate it on a regular basis and fire at positions of Syrian governmental forces. Civil infrastructure is damaged, population suffers, Syrian military die, discontent of civilians is growing, they protest against the strangle of militants, against forceful militarization, worsening humanitarian situation, inability to exit de-escalation zone and threats to be shot should they not obey. Extremists severely break up peaceful demonstrations, fire at the protestors. It is evident that the situation in Idlib will only escalate and deteriorate as long as the de-escalation zone is controlled by terrorists.
As guarantors to the Astana process, Russia and Turkey have reiterated commitment to continue, together with Iran, our search for a political solution to the Syrian conflict. We will be supporting the activity of the Constitutional Committee which is something the “Astana members” have been painstakingly working for over recent time. We proceed from the assumption that the situation on the ground should not impede the long-awaited launch of the Committee that should happen (assisted by the United Nations) as soon as next week.
The Turkish-Russian memorandum also anchors the need to solve the refugee problem. Russia together with the Government of Syria takes measures to create conditions for return of refugees and IDPs. Hundreds of thousand Syrians have already returned to their hearth and home. We call upon international organizations, including the UN Refugee Agency and other humanitarian mechanisms to galvanize action to set up accommodation for returning refugees. Regrettably, this activity is quite often deliberately hampered.
Mr. President,
The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, the Syrian Government, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross jointly engage in efforts to disband the camp “Rukban”. We expect that the problem of refugees and IDPs who inhabit it will be solved soon.
As for the camp “Al-Hawl”, the situation there is truly disastrous because of impeded access of humanitarian agencies and the lacking finance. Many refugees from other camps in the North-East relocated there, and it further aggravated the situation. Half of its inhabitants are women and children. It is well-established, that there are jihadists there and that jihadist ideology is spreading. Time has long become ripe to think of transferring all illegally occupied territories to the Syrian authorities. This adds to resolving the problem with IDPs.
As distinguished Ms. Agnès Marcaillou pointed out, another pressing issue is the problem of mine-clearing. We welcome the beginning of project operation of the Service in Syria. Russia is part of mine-clearing in SAR both in national capacity and as a contributor to the Service. In this regard, we call upon all countries who are genuinely interested in humanitarian integrity of Syria to join this work, as well as efforts at other humanitarian tracks and providing humanitarian assistance to Syrians without any discrimination, politicizing, and preconditions. This includes not only projects on post-conflict recovery, but also, which is no less important, lifting of unilateral sanctions in the interests of restoring normal life of Syrians.
Thank you.
