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Russia calls for timely aid convoys to Syrian de-escalation zones

Lavrov stressed that it is important to know what exactly is being transported in cargoes that get to Syria’s territory

MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Russia calls on international humanitarian organizations not to drag out humanitarian supplies to Syria’s de-escalation zones, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday in response to questions by the first-year students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), an academic institution run by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"We call on international humanitarian organizations not to drag out sending humanitarian supplies at a pretext of some made-up problems with the Bashar al-Assad government," he said.

"There are no problems here, and security is being provided," the minister went on. "The thing is, this help should be delivered to these particular zones by efficient routes that are most efficient, but our partners are trying to preserve the so-called cross-border routes that involved the territories of Turkey and Jordan with hardly any control by the UN."

He stressed that it is important to know what exactly is being transported in cargoes that get to Syria’s territory.

"I am confident that there are mostly humanitarian supplies there, but, considering that various groups not beholden to anyone are operating in Syria, there may be abuses, and that’s what we want to avoid," Lavrov concluded.