Syrian Parliament Urges European Parliament to Condemn US Plundering
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Syrian Parliament rejected the latest report from the European Parliament on the humanitarian situation in Syria, labeling it as false and urging the bloc to maintain objectivity by condemning the US's exploitation of Syrian energy and agricultural resources.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Syrian Parliament criticized the June report of the European Parliament, stating that it contains inaccuracies and distortions aimed at justifying the policies of certain Western governments that harm the interests of the Syrian nation.
The statement emphasized, "If the European Parliament truly seeks objectivity in its humanitarian perspective, it should condemn the illegal plundering of Syria's energy resources and agricultural wealth by US military forces."
Since 2014, the US has deployed troops and military equipment in Syria without authorization from the Syrian government or a UN mandate, claiming to fight against the Takfiri Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) terrorist group.
The US military currently occupies Syria with nearly 1,000 troops and has seized the country's oil fields in collaboration with local anti-government militants and terrorist groups. They have been involved in the theft of crude supplies and wheat, which are then transferred across the border to US bases in Iraq.
The Syrian Parliament also highlighted the catastrophic consequences of unilateral sanctions imposed by Western governments on Syria, affecting sectors such as education, healthcare, water services, and transportation.
"These measures violate international law and the United Nations Charter," the statement emphasized.
The parliament further criticized the so-called exemptions and exceptions to these sanctions, stating that they are mere lip service and have no tangible effect.
Even the six-month sanctions exemption introduced after the devastating earthquake on the Turkey-Syria border in late February has not been implemented. Humanitarian organizations and donor states have yet to provide disaster relief to Syria, according to the parliament.
The Syrian Parliament called on the European Parliament to adopt a new approach in line with international law and humanitarian principles. It demanded that the bloc immediately and unconditionally lift all forms of sanctions imposed on the Syrian people.
The EU claimed in its June report that it provides humanitarian, development, economic, and stabilization assistance to the Syrian population in compliance with international law, impartiality, neutrality, and non-discrimination.
The EU report also accused the Syrian government of politicizing and instrumentalizing humanitarian aid by obstructing, impeding, and diverting assistance.
Syria has been subjected to US-led sanctions since 1979. Washington and its Western allies intensified economic sanctions and restrictions on Damascus after 2011, when the country faced foreign-backed militancy and terrorism.
The sanctions were further intensified with the implementation of the Caesar Act in 2019, which targeted individuals and businesses involved in Syria's reconstruction efforts, directly or indirectly.