Iran lambasts West for illegal, unilateral sanctions against Syrian people

A top Iranian diplomat on Saturday slammed the West for its illegal and unilateral sanctions against the Syrian people.

Making the remarks at a joint meeting at the end of the eighth round of the Syrian Constitutional Committee talks in Geneva, attended by the representatives of Iran, Syria, Turkey and the United Nations, Ali Asghar Khaji, a senior adviser to the Iranian foreign minister, said the reconstruction of the Arab state hinges on the resolution of its crisis through a political solution, IRNA reported.

He also condemned “Israeli raids on Syrian infrastructure and civilian places,” describing as lamentable the international community’s silence in the face of “such aggressions and criminal acts”.

The eighth round of the Syrian Constitutional Committee meetings, chaired by the United Nations Special Representative for Syria Geir O. Pedersen, started in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday.

The next round is scheduled for late July.

During the meeting, Pederson thanked the three guarantor countries for their cooperation in the Astana peace process and presented a comprehensive report on this round of intra-Syrian talks within the framework of the Syrian Constitutional Committee.

He described as positive the general atmosphere of the talks, saying it is very encouraging and will pave the way for better results in the future.