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Conflict in Syria

Syrian government has right to continue operation in Eastern Ghouta — Russian UN envoy

Russia will continue efforts to implement Resolution 2401 that envisages a 30-day ceasefire in Syria

UNITED NATIONS, March 12. /TASS/. Syria’s authorities enjoy every right to continue the counter-terrorist operation in Damascus’ suburb as it doesn’t run counter to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2401, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Monday.

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"The counter-terrorist operation conducted by the Syrian military does not run counter to Resolution 2401. The Syrian government has every right to do away with the security threat to its citizens. Damascus’ suburb cannot continue to be a nest of terrorism," he said.

He stressed that Russia would continue efforts to implement Resolution 2401 of February 24 that envisaged a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to conduct humanitarian operation. "But we demand that some of our colleagues travel their part of the road and exert real influence on the groups they back and sponsor rather than keep on calling on Russia as though this resolution is meant solely for us," he noted.

The United Nations Security Council gathered on Monday to discuss Resolution 2401. Western states wanted this resolution to be passed on the backdrop of the situation in Eastern Ghouta, where several thousands of members of armed groups are surrounded by Syrian government troops. US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nikki Haley said that her country would deliver a strike on Syria if the UN Security Council failed to achieve a ceasefire in the Damascus suburb.

The US delegation circulated a draft resolution on cessation of hostilities in that area, which had no provisions allowing to continue counter-terrorist operations, unlike Resolution 2401.

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