Moallem: De Mistura’s Suggestion of Aleppo Autonomous Zone Completely Rejected

Monday, 21 November 2016

Moallem: De Mistura’s Suggestion of Aleppo Autonomous Zone Completely Rejected

November 20, 2016

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem on Sunday said Damascus completely rejects UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura’s proposal to establish an autonomous zone in east Aleppo.

“This was completely rejected… This is a violation of our sovereignty,” he said in a televised news conference after holding talks with De Mistura in Damascus.

The Syrian FM said that the UN envoy said he can’t offer guarantees that a new ceasefire can take hold, noting that the Syrian government had given three chances for the injured people to get out of eastern Aleppo.

Meanwhile, Moallem stressed that Damascus “can no longer accept that 275,000 of our people are hostages by terrorists in eastern Aleppo” which is held by Takfiri militants fighting the Syrian government.

Meanwhile, the top Syrian diplomat said Damascus welcomes any Syrian-Syrian dialogue that would take place far from foreign interference. However, Moallem said that De Mistura’s did not offer any move that could help holding such talks.

Concerning the Turkish incursion north of Syria, Moallem reiterated Damascus’ rejecting position, stressing that Syria can’t accept the presence of any foreign forces on its territory.

On the battle taking place in neighboring Iraq for Mosul, the Syrian FM warned that ISIL militants could flee Mosul into Syria.

“It’s dangerous to allow ISIL militants to come into Syria,” Moallem said, as he hailed Iraq’s volunteer forces for preventing the Takfiri militants from fleeing Iraq into Syria.

“Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Tal Afar are preventing ISIL militants from coming into Syria,” Moallem told the press conference.

Source: Al-Manar

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