UNITED NATIONS, September 20. /TASS/. Russia is calling on the UN to provide an honest assessment of the difficulties that Syria and humanitarian organizations are facing due to the unilateral sanctions, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya has said.

"We are urging the UN officials to publicly express straightforward and honest assessments of the difficulties faced by the Syrians, as well as humanitarian workers carrying out their noble mission, due to illegitimate unilateral sanctions," he said at a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria.

Nebenzya pointed out that Russia was waiting for the UN to "send a clear signal to Western donors regarding the need to lift unilateral illegal sanctions and actively support long-term development reconstruction so that the Syrian people can build their future without any outside interference."

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said during negotiations with UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in Damascus on March 17 that "the reason for the continued suffering of Syrians is the inhumane sanctions imposed by the United States and its Western allies." He pointed out that "the consequences of these restrictions are catastrophic."

Mekdad called on the UN Security Council to "facilitate the lifting of Western sanctions against Damascus and an end to the illegal presence of US and Turkish troops on Syrian territory."