President,
I welcome Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen presiding over today’s meeting. I thank Special Envoy Geir Pedersen and Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher for their briefings. I have also listened carefully to the statement by the civil society representative Ms. Joumana Seif.
China has been closely following the situation in Syria. We sincerely hope that, with the help of the international community, Syria will steadily advance its political transition and restore peace and stability at an early date. In this connection, I wish to make the following points.
First, an inclusive transition process should be advanced. In coastal areas of Syria, civilians were indiscriminately killed, the inhumanity and brutality of which is outrageous. The Syrian interim authorities have announced the launch of a one-month independent investigation to ensure accountability. We are following the progress in this regard, and we hope that the Syrian interim authorities will carry out their work in a transparent and responsible manner, which is crucial to the international community’s assessment of the credibility of the political transition in the country.
China takes note of the recent measures by the Syrian interim authorities to advance the political transition. It is our hope that they will earnestly deliver on their commitments and, guided by the principles of Security Council Resolution 2254, engage in broad dialogue and consultation with all sectors in Syria to achieve genuine inclusiveness. The work of Special Envoy Pedersen should be respected and supported by all parties. The Office of the Special Envoy needs to strengthen its team on the ground. The League of Arab States can play a greater role in the Syrian political process.
Second, the bottom line of countering terrorism should be preserved. Following the change in the situation in Syria, foreign terrorist fighters in Idlib have moved across Syria, posing an immediate threat to the Syrian people and to regional and international peace and security. Foreign terrorist fighters have been involved in the mistreatment and killing of civilians in the coastal areas. This is yet another reminder of the need to remain highly vigilant against the terrorist forces in Syria. The Security Council adopted a presidential statement this month, reaffirming its unified position against foreign terrorist fighters. We urge the Syrian interim authorities to fulfill their counter-terrorism obligations and to take decisive measures to combat all Security Council-listed terrorist organizations, including the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party.
Third, active efforts need to be made to develop and improve people’s well-being. With Syria’s economy in long-term stagnation, improving living conditions is the most suppressing aspiration of the over 20 million Syrian people. The Syrian interim authorities should take promoting economic development and improving people’s livelihood as a top priority. We call on traditional donors to increase their humanitarian assistance to Syria. Relevant countries should take actions to eliminate the negative impact of unilateral measures, and ensure those actions will play a positive role in alleviating the humanitarian situation and promoting sustainable development.
In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria should be respected. The Golan Heights is internationally recognized as occupied Syrian territory. The 1974 disengagement agreement should be complied with. China condemns the Israeli airstrikes against Syria. Israel should withdraw from Syrian territory without delay.
Thank you, President.