Trump Proposal for Safe Zones in Syria Should Be Coordinated With Syrian Gov't
20:52 02.02.2017
US President Donald Trump's recent proposal on creating safe zones for civilians in Syria should be coordinated with the Syrian government directly or through Moscow, which coordinates its actions on the Syrian territory with Damascus, member of the Syrian parliament Mohammed Kheir Jasim Nadir told Sputnik.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – In a phone conversation with King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Sunday, Trump requested the king's support for the idea of creating safe zones in Syria and Yemen to help refugees displaced by the ongoing conflicts.
"Any proposal should be approved by and coordinated with the Syrian government as it is the first and final decision maker. According to the UNSC resolution 2254, the Syrian authorities are responsible for protecting its people. If Trump wants to succeed in any proposal, he must first knock on the right door, coordinating it directly with Damascus or via Moscow, which coordinates fully with Damascus. The Syrian government is the exclusive administrator for its people and its geography," Nadir said.
The lawmaker also stressed that the idea of safe zones was an example of a gross violation of the international law that guarantees sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
"The topic of safe zone was discussed between the United States and Saudi Arabia. My question is the following: will these safe zones be created on the territories of those two countries?! What a blatant violation of principles of the international law and relevant UN resolutions, which 'emphasize strong commitment to Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity'!" Nadir underlined.
According to the lawmaker, the Syrian leadership has proven that it is open to a dialogue on the Syrian crisis settlement through participation in the negotiation process.
"It also has proved its credibility and commitment to achieve two things: to protect the Syrian people and to eliminate terrorism completely," Nadir concluded.
The idea of safe zones has not taken shape yet, so it is still unclear who, according to the US proposal, should be policing the proposed safe zones and investing funds in their creation. According to Trump's administration, it can be the way to stem the tide of Syrian refugees to Europe and elsewhere.
Following Trump's conversation with the Saudi king, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any creation of security zones in Syria would require a practical agreement with the Syrian authorities. Russia intends to clarify the issue in a conversation with the United States, the minister added.
© Sputnik
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