Lavrentiev: US forces illegally deployed in Syria are stealing Syrian resources – SANA

Alexander Lavrentiev, head of the Russian delegation to the 18th International Meeting on Syria in the Astana format has affirmed that US forces illegally deployed in Syria under the pretext of fighting Daesh “ISIS” are continuing their aggressive activities in northeastern Syria and they are stealing Syrian resources there.

Lavrentiev’s remarks came in a statement to journalists on the sidelines of the meeting which is being held in the Kazakh capital city of Nur-Sultan.

“We will consider the issue of the illegal US presence in northeastern Syria…In fact, the US forces that are deployed there are mainly working to control the oil fields and plunder the Syrian wealth and resources,” Lavrentiev said.

Lavrentiev stressed that the Israeli acts of aggression on Syrian territory are unacceptable.

He said “We will consider the issue of these increasing acts of aggression on Syrian territory… We think that it will be necessary to focus on that as their continuation is unacceptable.”

“An attack has been recently launched on Damascus International Airport and the runway was damaged in a way that does not allow international flights to be received…. Over time everything will be repaired,” he added.

In response to a question about the Turkish regime’s intention to launch a new aggression on Syrian territory, Lavrentiev said “The possibility of carrying out a military operation in northern Syria by Turkey would be illogical and irrational, and this would lead to an escalation of tension and a new military confrontation in those areas.”

Lavrentiev noted that in addition to these issues, the issue of Syrian refugees will be tackled during the talks in Nur-Sultan, because it is a very important issue in light of the fact that the stances of the countries where these refugees are present have changed.

The special envoy of the Russian President to Syria added “the issue of captives and missing persons will also be on the table, and I believe that the process will continue with the support of specialized bodies, including international organizations.”

Lavrentiev reiterated that resolving the crisis in Syria is still a priority for Russia, despite the special military operation it is waging in Ukraine.

Lavrentiev said, “Many are now saying that due to the special military operation, Russia’s interest in Syria has weakened, because a number of European states want to see the development of the situation in Syria according to their patterns…I want to tell them that resolving the crisis in this country is still a priority for Russian foreign policy.”, stressing that Moscow will continue to provide support to the Syrian side.