UNITED NATIONS: A Chinese envoy said that China is ready to play a constructive role in the early restoration of peace in Syria. “China stands ready to play a constructive role towards the early restoration of peace, stability and development in Syria,” Wu Haitao, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting on the political process in Syria. “China applauds the good offices of the special envoy (Geir Pedersen) and the constructive participation of the Syrian parties. We support the special envoy in stepping up the communication with the Syrian Government to listen to the government’s legitimate requests,” Wu said. “All countries must combat terrorism in all its forms in accordance with relevant Council resolutions and international law, and by applying one single standard. Otherwise, Syria as well as the region of West Asia and North Africa will have no peace,” said Wu. “The international community should, on the one hand, move over the political process, and on the other, help improve Syria’s economic and humanitarian situation,” he added. “It is essential to secure the conditions of survival for the Syrian people, lift unilateral sanctions, and support post-conflict reconstruction,” the envoy noted, adding that civilians are directly harmed by unilateral sanctions. “The provision of humanitarian supplies by relevant parties should not come with any political preconditions,” the ambassador noted. Talking about the approach towards the political process, Wu said that the United Nations should continue to advance the Syrian political process in line with the Syrian- led and Syrian-owned principle and Council Resolution 2254. “It is important to maintain the independence of the Syrian Constitutional Committee’s work so as to create conditions for bridging differences and building consensus among the Syrian parties,” he said. –Agencies
