Al-Shara outlines Syria's views before UN GA
Syria's Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara on Monday described the Middle East region as almost unique in the world in being singularly more victimized than other regions and endured more injuries, more campaigns of misrepresented facts and has been subjected more to the use of force.
In his speech before the UN General Assembly, al-Shrara said the scourge of Israeli occupation and continued aggression are the main reason for the suffering inflicted upon our region ever since the concept of international law was introduced to the international community.
He added that our world today is faced with daunting challenges threatening the very foundation on which the system of international peace and security was built.
Al-Shara pointed out that a lot has been said lately about the dangers of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by countries that already have different types of such weapons. Some have even waged a war under the pretext of eliminating these weapons.
He added that repeated calls by all the countries in the region, with the exception of Israel, to make the Middle East region a zone free from all weapons of mass destruction were ignored. Syria translated its words into deed by tabling an integrated draft resolution calling for declaring the Middle East a zone free from all weapons of mass destruction.
The Foreign Minster stressed that Syria condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and throughout its membership in the Security Council it has been supporting the Council's efforts to counter international terrorism.
On the situation in Iraq, al-Shara said the grave situation in the country has become a source of great concern for our peoples who are already plagued by the Israeli occupation and the continued threats against them. This situation is also a major cause for concern for the international community due to the threat it poses to international peace and security.
He added that "our country is directly concerned with what goes on in Iraq given historical and geographical ties, and our common national loyalties with the Iraqi people." Syria affirms that finding a way out of this predicament does not lie in focusing and addressing the lack of security but in an international commitment to the unity and sovereignty of the territories of Iraq, to setting a clear timetable for the withdrawal of the occupying forces from Iraq as soon as possible and framing a constitution acceptable by the Iraqis.
