President Assad: Syria Under Economic Siege

“The war on Syria has taken on a new form that is basically siege and economic war,” he said, according to a statement released by the presidency, AFP reported.

“International political tools have changed,” he said, as he met Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong in Damascus.

Instead of dialogue, foreign powers have adopted “a different approach consisting of boycott, ambassador withdrawal, economic siege, and the use of terrorism,” he said.

The United States and the European Union have slapped a series of sanctions on Syrian officials since the foreign-backed war started in 2011.

Many foreign nations closed their embassies in Damascus while others scaled down their representation, and Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011.

After a series of victories against terrorists, the government and its allies now control almost two-thirds of Syria and are making a strong comeback on the regional stage.

In December, Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir made the first visit by any Arab leader to the Syrian capital since 2011, and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain reopened their embassies in Damascus.

Countries including Lebanon and Tunisia have called for it to be readmitted to the Arab League.

The war is estimated to have set Syria’s economy back by three decades, destroying infrastructure and paralyzing the production of electricity and oil.