LONDON, March 15. /TASS/. The Russian embassy in London invites the UK government to join practical efforts of the international community, aimed at reconciliation in Syria, the embassy said in a statement on the occasion of the International Donor Conference on Syria currently under way in Brussels.
"Despite London’s bold statements, accompanied by regular declarations of allocating vast sums of money, we see no practical contribution by the United Kingdom into the assistance to the people of Syria," the embassy said. "Everything is done in a very non-transparent manner, concrete goals and ultimate beneficiaries are often not disclosed."
"The United Kingdom’s never-changing attitude, which envisages assistance solely to Syrian regions outside the control of the government forces and to neighboring countries, keeps surprising us," the embassy statement reads. "Once again, we call upon the official London to refrain from putting forward endless claims and preconditions to the Damascus government and to eventually join the international community’s efforts aimed at settling the Syrian conflict both in the humanitarian and the political dimension."
Russian diplomats also noted the UK Foreign Office’s statement about London’s participation in the Syria Donor Conference, in which claimed that the Damascus government has been persistently denying requests by the UN and international humanitarian organizations.
"This statement is untrue. In practice, the Syrian government is doing its best to deliver aid to various regions of the country," the embassy said.
Among examples to support its words, the Russian embassy cited the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s declared commitment to assist the return of refugees from the Rukban refugee camp, located within the 55-km security zone surrounding US military base Al-Tanf. Facilities to house about 35,000 people were set up in the governorates of Homes and Aleppo and in suburbs of the capital Damascus, and the authorities stocked up on food, water, medicines and other daily essentials.
The embassy also said that on March 1, the Syrian authorities in coordination with Russian servicemen have formed a bus convoy to evacuate displaced persons from Rukban. However, the initiative had to be ditched after US representatives refused to guarantee safe passage along its territory.
Russia faced no problems while coordinating aid deliveries with the Syrian government, the statement reads. To date, Russia has carried out 2,080 humanitarian missions to various Syrian cities and towns, distributing 3,300 tonnes of cargo.