The UN Security Council's draft resolution on renewing the mandate for a cross-border humanitarian relief mechanism in Syria did not comply with principles of respect for Syria's sovereignty and independence, and Beijing vetoed the document for the sake of the Syrian people's interest, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Saturday
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2019) The UN Security Council's draft resolution on renewing the mandate for a cross-border humanitarian relief mechanism in Syria did not comply with principles of respect for Syria's sovereignty and independence, and Beijing vetoed the document for the sake of the Syrian people's interest, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Saturday.On Friday, the UN Security Council failed to adopt the resolution extending the authorization for cross-border delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria proposed by Germany, Belgium and Kuwait as Russia and China vetoed it. Meanwhile, another draft sponsored by Moscow did not gain the required nine votes to be adopted. As a result, the mechanism will cease to operate on January 10.
"Cross-border humanitarian relief is a special relief method adopted under specific circumstances. It should be based on full respect for Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity as well as the Syrian government's views, and it should be evaluated and adjusted in light of the developments on the ground. Regrettably, the final texts were not in line with the above spirit, bringing serious difficulties for China," the spokesman told reporters.
He added that Beijing attached "great importance to the humanitarian situation in Syria" and was actively engaged in the discussions on the matter at the Security Council. He also stressed that his country was ready to continue the process of the political settlement of the Syrian crisis.
"I would also like to point out that China firmly rejects the groundless accusations on China by some countries. China cast its vote based on the merits of the matter itself and the fundamental interests of the Syrian people. Certain countries should earnestly reflect on their words and deeds since their wrong actions inflicted sufferings on the Syrian people," the diplomat said.
The cross-border assistance mechanism allows humanitarian aid to be delivered through UN approved checkpoints without the formal permission of the Syrian government. It was established in 2014 and has since been renewed every year. The stumbling block during the recent UN Security Council session was the number of these checkpoints. In particular, Moscow advocated for their reduction to two on the Syria-Turkey border and the mandate to last only for six months. Meanwhile, Belgium, Kuwait and Germany wanted to preserve two checkpoints in Turkey and one in Iraq.
