Lavrentiev: Western sanctions on Syria must be lifted to meet humanitarian needs of its people

The Russian President’s Special Envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, has affirmed that the meetings were very successful and dealt with a large number of issues.

“The 20th Meeting is the last meeting in Kazakhstan as the next meeting will be held in the second half of this year at a place to be determined later,” Lavrentiev said during a press conference at the conclusion of the 20th International Meeting on Syria in the Astana format.

He added “The Astana format have proven its effectiveness, and we thank Kazakhstan for hosting the meetings for more than 6 years.”

Lavrentiev added, “We stressed the necessity of continuing to work tirelessly to enhance stability in Syria, calling on countries that put pressure on the Syrian people to stop this behavior.”

“The return of Syria to the Arab League is very important, and it helps to enhance stability in the region, and the sanctions imposed by the West on Syria must be lifted to meet the humanitarian needs of its people,” Lavrentiev stated.

He stressed the need to support reconstruction efforts in Syria in order to create suitable conditions for the return of refugees to their homes.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency