Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that any new provocation by terrorists on Syria, especially employing chemical weapons, is "unacceptable" under any justifications.
Addressing the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, Lavrov emphasized that rebuilding the war-torn country's infrastructure and refugees' return must become top priorities of international efforts, indicating that relevant UN resolutions must be implemented without any "double standard." He said the Syrian National Dialogue Conference held in Sochi -- initiated by Russia, Iran, and Turkey -- set conditions for a political settlement based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and helped to pave the way to form the Syrian Constitutional Commission, which is currently being set up in Geneva.
Moving on to the Iran nuclear deal, Lavrov has affirmed that Moscow remains committed to preserving the landmark 2015 agreement and is in full compliance with its obligations.
On the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the Russian diplomat stated that regardless of the complicated situations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya, "we must not lose attention to the age-old Palestinian problem." "Mutually acceptable initiatives must lay the groundwork for a peaceful and secure co-existence of the two nations, Israel and Palestine", Lavrov said.
He clarified that the international community is forced to pay a heavy price for the ambitions of a limited group of countries, leading to the failure of collective mechanisms to respond to common security challenges.
He stressed that unilateral restrictions imposed without approval of the Security Council "are illegitimate and ineffective."