Madam President,

I thank Special Envoy Geir Pedersen and Deputy Director Ghada Mudawi for their briefings. I also listened carefully to the civil society representative for her statement.

Recently, Syria was re-admitted to the Arab League, marking its first reunion with the Arab family in the past 12 years. This not only gives fresh impetus for the Arab countries to gain strength through solidarity, but also provides a new opportunity for the political settlement of the Syrian issue. As a sincere friend of the Arab world, China wishes to express its welcome and congratulations on this development. We hope that all parties can seize the opportunity to strengthen dialogue and work with Special Envoy Pedersen in an active manner, so as to advance the political process of Syria for early progress. China has been consistently supporting the solidarity and revitalization of Arab countries, actively supporting Syria’s return to the Arab League and engaging parties concerned through its own channels. Countries outside the region should fully respect the will of the regional countries and their people, stop obstructing the process of dialogue and reconciliation among countries in the Middle East, and strive to create enabling conditions for the political settlement of the Syrian issue.

Madam President,

China welcomes the Syrian Government’s renewed extension of the use of border crossings at Bab Al-Salam and Al-Ra’ee. At the same time we call on the party in control of northwest Syria to stop obstructing the cross-line aid operations. The Secretariat should report to the Security Council in a comprehensive and detailed manner on the specific difficulties for the cross-line aid operations and propose solutions. Israel must immediately cease attacks on all civilian facilities in Syria, including its airports. Energy is the bottleneck for humanitarian relief and economic recovery in Syria, and should be advanced as a priority for early recovery. Explosive remnants of war continue to cause Syrian civilian casualties, and must be incorporated into the early recovery process as soon as possible. Illegal unilateral sanctions severely impede Syria’s economic recovery and livelihood improvement, and must be immediately and unconditionally lifted in full.

Thank you, Madam President.