Sabbagh, Lavrov discuss regional situation, sign joint declaration on ways to confront effects of unilateral coercive measures
New York, SANA- Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Bassam Sabbagh discussed Saturday, with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, bilateral cooperation relations between Syria and Russia, especially in the economic field, pointing out the importance of holding meetings of the joint governmental committee between the two countries as soon as possible.
During their meeting in New York, the two sides discussed the joint efforts of the two countries within the framework of the United Nations and other multilateral bodies to confront the West’s collective attempts to undermine the provisions of the United Nations Charter.
The two ministers also discussed the current situation in the Middle East in light of the recent Israeli escalation in Lebanon, the continuous attacks on Syrian territory as well as the continuation of the war on the Palestinian people.
In this regard, the two sides agreed on the need to fully adhere to the principles of international law, the provisions and principles of the United Nations Charter, and respect sovereignty of states and the unity and integrity of their territories.
During the meeting, Ministers Sabbagh and Lavrov signed a joint declaration on “Ways to Confront and Mitigate the Negative Effects of Unilateral Coercive Measures,” which included, among other things, an affirmation that any state’s resort to unilateral coercive measures is illegal, inconsistent with the UN Charter and the provisions of international law, and entails international responsibility.
The Declaration strongly urged States to refrain from adopting, issuing or imposing unilateral coercive measures that prevent the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries.
The declaration called for developing a roadmap to reduce the dependence of international trade on national currencies that may be used to implement unilateral coercive measures or to support the monetary dominance of a particular country over the global economy, and to hold the affected country responsible for compensating for damages resulting from economic or financial losses resulting from the imposition of unilateral coercive measures.
