12/10/2024December 10, 2024
UN Security Council meets to discuss situation in Syria
Members of the United Nations Security Council have held talks to discuss the unfolding situation in following the ousting of President on Sunday.
“The Council, I think, was more or less united on the need to preserve the territorial integrity and unity of Syria, to ensure the protection of civilians, to ensure that humanitarian aid is coming,” said Russian UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia following the emergency meeting requested by Moscow.
“But look, everyone was taken by surprise by the events, everyone, including the members of the council. So we have to wait,” to see how the situation will evolve, he said.
has been a strong ally of Assad and has supported the Syrian regime’s military operations directly since 2015.
Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood meanwhile called it “a very fluid situation.”
“No one expected the Syrian forces to fall like a house of cards,” he continued.
Woods noted that “just about everyone spoke about the need for Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence to be respected, and concern about the humanitarian situation,” indicating the council is working on a joint statement.
“The intention is for the council to speak with one voice on the situation in Syria,” he said.
China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong said after the council meeting that “the situation needs to be stabilized and there has to be an inclusive political process, and also there should not be a resurgence of terrorist forces.”
Syria’s UN ambassador Koussay Aldahhak told reporters that his diplomatic mission and all Syrian embassies abroad had been instructed to continue doing their job and maintain the state institution during the period of transition.
“Now we are waiting for the new government, but meanwhile we are continuing with the current one and the leadership,” he said, adding that Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh — who was appointed by Assad — was still in Damascus.
“We are with the Syrian people. We will keep defending and working for the Syrian people. So we will continue our work until further notice,” Aldahhak told reporters outside the council.
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