Russian Deputy Prime Minister Says US, Kurds Keep Damascus Away From Oil Fields

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th September, 2020) The United States and Kurds are preventing the Syrian authorities from accessing oil fields, which derails Damascus' attempts to restore the country's economy, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said Monday.

"The main reason is, certainly, the destructive stance of the US and the Kurds, who are de facto using what belongs to the legitimate Syrian government and do not want to talk, do not cede control to the legitimate government at the fields that belong to Syria," Borisov told a press conference.

The deputy prime minister stressed that Syria used to get substantial profit from the export of hydrocarbons and wheat, but has to import both at the moment.

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in an armed conflict. In late 2017, a victory over the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia) was announced. However, some Syrian regions are still being cleared of terrorists. At the moment, the political settlement, return of refugees and rebuilding of the economy have come to the forefront.