French delegation visits French Hospital and Armenian Church, Vial to SANA: siege on Syria unreasonable

Damascus, SANA- French Senate member, Head of the Senate’s French-Syrian Friendship Committee Jean-Pierre Vial and member of the Senate and Mayor of Laval city François Zocchetto inspected the work of the French Hospital in Damascus and the services it provides.

The senates were briefed on the needs of the Hospital and mechanisms of work as well as the bad effects of the crisis on medical institution in terms of capacity and medical equipment and drugs.

On the situation of the Hospital, Sister John Feiv said that a big volume of medicine and equipment are not available in most cases due to the siege and sanctions impost on the country.

She stressed that the French policy towards Syria should change because the situation is getting more deteriorated, highlighting the great sufferings of Syrians in different areas, particularly residents of Hasaka where terrorist besiege its towns, leading to the death of many children.

The two senates also visited Armenian Orthodox Church of Damascus Diocese where they met Bishop Armash Nalbandian, who explained the situation in Syria in general and particularly in cities of Damascus and Aleppo in spite of the crisis taking place in the country.

For his part, Bishop Nalbandian indicated that national unity is still embracing the fabric of the Syrian society, and all Syrian spectra are united in countering the takfiri ideology that is targeting Syria.

He added that Turkey has played a big aggressive role in the crisis, opening its borders to the terrorist organizations where perpetrated massacres against the Syrian Armenians in the city of Kassab and other Syrian cities, as their Ottoman predecessors did in 1915, committing horrific genocide against the Armenians.

Bishop Nalbandian stressed that Armenians are deeply rooted in their homeland, Syria, and they are part and parcel of the Syrian people, as they wish that the solution to the crisis should be comprehensive- not restricted to particular cities.

“A lot of innocent people in Damascus have been killed in almost daily terrorist attacks with rocket and mortar shells,” Bishop Nalbandian said, adding that the Church was targeted twice last year leaving many children dead.

Vial stressed that the delegation’s visit to Syria is very important, clarifying that Syria has always been a place for all sects and it is exemplary for the co-existence and tolerance among its people.

In a statement to SANA, Vial considered that the siege imposed on Syria has become unreasonable and it increases sufferings of the Syrian people and leads to the lack of basic needs, especially medicines.

He clarified that the delegation visited makeshift centers, international organizations, schools, clergymen, hospitals in addition to visiting a number of Syrian officials, pointing out that the absence of France from Syria is because of its Embassy’s shutdown, which should be put into consideration for restoring relations between the two countries.

Vial said the latest attacks that hit Europe and France caused a shock to the Europeans, who thought that terrorism is a plague targets others in Syria and the Middle East and it will not reach them, yet it turned out and reached Europe.

On the crisis in Syria, Vial saw that the solution lies in Aleppo initiative proposed by the UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura and supported by the Syrian government, as it should be accompanied with the support of effective states to bear responsibility in this regard.

Rasha Milhem/ Barry

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