All news

EU’s refusal to invite Damascus to donor conference raises questions — senior diplomat

The approach calls the effectiveness of the event into question, according to Russia's deputy foreign minister

BRUSSELS, March 30. /TASS/. The European Union’s and UN's refusal to invite Damascus to the fifth international donor conference on Syria raises questions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said, addressing the ministerial segment of the conference on Tuesday.

"The organizers’ plan is that participants in today’s conference should discuss ways to provide humanitarian assistance and facilitate the political process in Syria in accordance with the relevant UN resolution. However, like before, they suggest that these issues, important for the Syrian people, should be discussed without Syrians, which is why the government of Syria - a UN member state - was not invited to participate. Such an approach causes concern and calls the effectiveness of the event into question," the senior Russian diplomat pointed out, adding that the Syrian people needed the international community’s support without preconditions and attempts to politicize it.

Vershinin noted that though the level of violence had dropped in Syria, the terrorist threat was still high. "We firmly believe that it is impossible to establish long-term and sustainable peace in Syria and the entire region without eradicating the hotspots of terrorism and restoring the country’s territorial integrity. It means that the uncompromising fight against terrorism should go on. We will continue to provide the necessary assistance to the Syrian authorities," the Russian deputy foreign minister emphasized.

The international donor conference on Syria, which involves over 75 delegations from 50 countries, is taking place online on March 29-30.