Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA – An official source at the Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry refuted Monday allegations circulated by some foreign media outlets that the Syrian government purchases oil from the terrorist organization of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The source told SANA that such news are baseless and that the Petroleum Ministry is the only side with the authority to invest in Syrian oil via its companies and establishments.
The source added that the ones who are stealing Syrian oil and facilitating this process are the very same countries that legalized the marketing of stolen Syrian oil via the resolution no. 186 issued by the European Union on 22/04/2013.
Syria welcomed a unanimously-adopted Security Council resolution three days ago that calls for pulling the plug on funding terrorist organizations, including ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra.
The resolution covers illicit oil trading, which has been among the prominent sources of funding for the other terrorist organizations in the areas they control.
Upon the adoption of the resolution, which was proposed by Russia, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari described it as “very important” for both Syria and Iraq, which are the main victims of foreign-backed terrorism.
Rasha Milhem/Haifa Said / Hazem Sabbagh
