MOSCOW, March 27. /TASS/. Russia’s foreign ministry calls on countries to drop their selfish interests and pool efforts to address the global coronavirus pandemic threat, Ministry’s Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
"Our call is addressed to those countries that never hesitate to use the instrument of unilateral sanctions at the least pretext to reach their political, economic time-serving goals. Our call is as follows: it is time to drop completely, or at least for the time being, their selfish interests and pool efforts against the global threat," she said.
She stressed that the coronavirus pandemic in Syria could have the most serious consequences bearing in mind that large camps for internally displaced persons, such as Rukban and al-Hawl, are located on territories that are not controlled by Damascus. "It is necessary to help the Syrian government ensure proper healthcare and access to medical service for all those who need it," she stressed.
According to the Russian diplomat, Moscow supports the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights who has called for the revision of sectoral sanctions entailing negative impacts on public health and human rights. "We also noted the UN secretary general’s call concerning the sanction policy of a number of countries, unilateral sanctions that in no way are a lifesaver amid the global problem, but, on the contrary, are an extra anchor for those who need to stay afloat," she said.
"We also share the high commissioner’s concerns about the epidemic’s spread in Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, where the public health system is extremely weak because of the unilateral sanctions imposed against them," Zakharova noted. "We believe that similar concerns can be voiced about the situation in Syria and Iran. We support the call on world leaders to demonstrate cooperation and solidarity to ensure people’s safety.".