TEHRAN- Iran's representative to the UN has issued a warning that the fight against terrorism should not be used as a cover to undermine Syria's territorial integrity and national sovereignty or as an excuse for seizing the natural resources of the Arab nation.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting about the situation in the Middle East (West Asia) on Wednesday, Amir Saeed Iravani stated that ending occupation and fully respecting Syria's national sovereignty and territorial integrity are prerequisites for any political solution to the country's woes.

The following is the text of his speech:

I thank Mr. Pedersen, the Special Envoy, and Mr. Griffiths, the Under Secretary – General for their updated briefings.

After more than a decade of conflict, there is only one way to end the crisis in Syria: a political process that is Syrian-led and Syrian-owned and is facilitated by the UN.

We commend Mr. Pederson's ongoing efforts and contacts with the parties in order to bring the Constitutional Committee from its present impasse. In this context, we welcome his recent visit to Damascus and close interactions with Syrian Arab Republic authorities.

We stress that the Committee's work must be conducted strictly in accordance with its Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure, without interference from outside parties or outside pressure, and without the use of artificial deadlines. The UN's role should be restricted to facilitation, and this must be a wholly Syrian-led and Syrian-owned effort.

We remain convinced that the ending of the occupation and the full restoration of respect for the Syrian Arab Republic's national sovereignty and territorial integrity are preconditions for any political settlement.

Similarly, peace and security in Syria's north can only be accomplished by upholding and fully respecting the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and any military action there would only worsen the already severe humanitarian situation.

Iran once more condemns the robbery of Syrian people's natural resources, particularly oil products, in areas occupied by foreign forces. 

Terrorism continues to pose a serious threat to Syria and the whole region, however, the war against terrorism must not be used to undermine Syria's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In this regard, the illegal presence of foreign forces in parts of Syria, which has created ideal conditions for terrorist activities, must end immediately.

On humanitarian issues, we commend the UN and its agencies' efforts to provide humanitarian relief to those in need.

Despite the UN efforts, Syria's humanitarian situation is challenging, and the country's continued economic difficulties have had a widespread impact.

We took notice of the latest Secretary-General report on Syria's humanitarian situation. The report emphasizes that the country is experiencing various challenges, including difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of cholera throughout the country.

According to the report, access to electricity is among the top three unmet needs. The report indicates that 15.3 million people will need early recovery and livelihood support in 2023. It also highlighted that the lack of electricity has made it more difficult to access necessary basic services.

We fully support the call for further expanding early recovery projects, including electricity in Syria as such projects are critical in restoring access to basic services and they must not be hampered by unilateral sanctions.

We also request for a non-discriminatory and equal distribution of the early recovery projects, as well as their transparency and predictability.

The continuous unilateral coercive measures remain one of the key causes of appalling conditions and have aggravated the humanitarian situation in Syria.

The negative effects of such illegal measures were also highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report where he expressed serious concern about the unintended consequences of sanctions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance and access to essential services such as health, education, food security, and electricity.

Therefore, urgent efforts must be made to remove such unlawful measures, which will only prolong the people's misery.

We underline the significance of the cross-border mechanism. However, we believe that such a mechanism is a temporary arrangement and that the Syrian Arab Republic's legitimate concerns, including full respect for its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, must be fully respected.

Also, the absence of significant progress in cross-line delivery, as well as its inequitable and discriminatory distribution, is a challenge that must be handled appropriately and timely.

Despite repeated appeals from the Syria Arab Republic, the Security Council maintains a deafening silence on the Israeli regime's continued aggressions and terrorist attacks against Syria, while refusing to condemn such egregious crimes. As a result, the Israel regime has been emboldened to continue its violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its systematic and intentional targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, which are flagrant violations of international law, international humanitarian law, and the UN Charter. The Syrian Arab Republic has an inherent right under the United Nations Charter and international law to take all necessary actions to protect its national interests and security.

We support initiatives such as local and national reconciliation, which are vital to facilitating the return of refugees and internally displaced people and are ready to assist in their success.

We continue to believe that a secure, stable, and prosperous Syria benefits the Syrian people and is in the interests of the region, and the international community. To this end, we support Syria's regional standing and are determined to strengthen our relations with the Arab Republic of Syria more than in the past.