BASSAM SABBAGH, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Syria, underscored the need to a build a new multipolar world order that achieves a balance in international relations, including through reforming international institutions such as the Security Council.  “The policies of creative chaos adopted by successive American Administrations in our region to serve their geopolitical and selfish interests have led to destabilization and insecurity,” he added.  The United States has spent billions of dollars to demolish and destroy development achievements made over decades and contributed to the emergence of a phenomenon of extremism and terrorism.  Any illegal military presence on the territory of a sovereign State is a clear violation of the Charter of the United Nations.  Israel’s occupation of the Arab lands in Palestine and the Syrian Golan is a heinous and systematic violation of the Charter.

Syria will exercise its legitimate right to defend its land and people “by all necessary means” and to ensure that the Israeli occupation authorities are held accountable for all their crimes, he continued. Syria has spared no effort to stand alongside the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle to regain their legitimate rights, especially the right to establish statehood, he stressed. This year has witnessed a dangerous escalation of Israeli criminal practices.  Syria denounces continued support for Israel’s practices. Moreover, the United States and Türkiye continue to violate Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by insisting on their illegal military presence on Syrian lands, and supporting separatist militias and terrorist organizations, he continued.  The systematic American plunder of the Syrian people’s national wealth, such as oil and gas, has deprived his country of its resources.

“Our latest statistics show that the total value of direct and indirect losses caused to the oil sector in Syria has exceeded $150 billion,” he said.  The United Nations is obligated to hold these States accountable and ask them to return this looted money to Damascus.  “Syria was one of the most stable and prosperous countries in the world,” he said.  Noting action taken by the Government to address the impact of the recent Syrian earthquake, he also touched on several steps Damascus has taken to welcome back refugees.  Furthermore, he reaffirmed Syria’s support for the right of the Russian Federation to protect its national security; commended Iran’s approach to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action; expressed support to the “one China” principle; condemned the economic blockade imposed on Cuba; and called for an end to the military action and exercises conducted by the United States on the Korean Peninsula.