Russia to Continue Comprehensive Cooperation with Syria, Says UN Envoy

UNITED NATIONS, May 15. /TASS/. Russia will continue comprehensive cooperation with Syria on the basis of decades-long friendship and mutual respect, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said.

"Russia is set to continue developing all-round cooperation with Syria based on the traditions of long-standing friendship and mutual respect. We are confident that the Syrian people, who have faced many trials, will emerge from them even stronger and more resilient," he said at a UN Security Council meeting on Syria.

He stated that the United States and Israel’s war against Iran has entailed devastating consequences for the entire Middle East, including Syria. Moscow, in his words, condemns "Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights" and calls for "am immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Syria."

The diplomat lauded the Syrian authorities’ successes in bringing the country’s northeastern parts "back under the rule of law" and welcomed Damascus’s efforts to combat terrorism. He also stressed that Russia hopes that the "inclusive political process" that is being carried out by all Syrians with the assistance of the United Nations in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 will continue.