New York, SANA-Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ibrahim Olabi, said: “This is the first time I speak in this council on behalf of Syria, and I am filled with pride to represent the Syrian Arab Republic, which tirelessly strives to be a source of peace and prosperity in the region.”
Olabi added during a Security Council session on the latest developments in the Middle East and Syria: “My colleagues working on the chemical weapons file in Damascus are witnesses and survivors of this weapon, and they are determined to move forward in confronting it one final time to eliminate it completely.”
He continued: “My colleagues working on this file need technical expertise and the necessary equipment, but they are the most patient and courageous in facing it, so that Syria may reach the day when it becomes completely pure… This is the new Syria.”
The Syrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations said that August 21 marked the 12th anniversary of the largest chemical weapons massacre in the past 30 years, which occurred just a few kilometers from Damascus. For the first time, the victims’ families and survivors were able this year to commemorate the massacre and express their grief for their loved ones, after years of oppression, displacement, and intimidation.
He added that during this year’s commemoration, survivors and victims’ families entered the presidential palace, where they were received by His Excellency the President of the Republic, who listened to their demands and concerns, and affirmed that the new Syria will not allow anyone to be harmed by chemical weapons again, and that all efforts will be made to hold those responsible accountable.
Olabi explained that the legacy left by the Assad era is not limited to the chemical weapons program alone. In addition to the challenges of economic recovery from weak infrastructure and a devastated economy, Syria faces major challenges in clearing war remnants and landmines.
He stressed that Syria needs international support to build its capabilities and provide the necessary equipment to establish a chemical weapons destruction program.
MHD Ibrahim
