Russian Foreign Ministry: De Mistura’s assistant is distorting facts

Moscow/Geneva, SANA – A source at the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Jan Egeland, the Senior Special Advisor to the UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura, is distorting facts by saying that implementing of the UN humanitarian plan in Aleppo depends on Moscow and Damascus.

The source pointed out that up until now, Moscow didn’t receive any guarantees from the so called “armed opposition” in Aleppo about its readiness to implement the UN humanitarian plan in the city, noting that in late August the so-called “local council” in Aleppo derailed sending a UN humanitarian convoy, and at this time Egeland made no statement about this council agreeing to the implement the humanitarian plan.

In the same context, a Russian diplomatic source announced that Moscow supports the UN plan about the humanitarian situation in Syria, but it wants to get clarifications on a number of issues related to this plan and guarantees of its implementation.

“Russia supports the UN’s humanitarian efforts to render assistance to the population in eastern Aleppo and is ready for further cooperation,” the source told Sputnik news agency, adding that Moscow had introduced humanitarian pauses in Aleppo several times and had developed jointly with the UN a plan to evacuate sick and wounded people from the eastern neighborhoods of the city, adding that this matter had been ready to be implemented.

“We want to receive explanations from the UN on a number of issues, including statements on the eastern Aleppo local council’s consent to the humanitarian plan, the names of field commanders who guarantee security on certain sections of the humanitarian convoy’s routes, as well as a clear indication as to who will distribute humanitarian aid when it is delivered,” the source said, adding that without this, any request to Moscow and Damascus in relation to this matter is absurd.

Manar al-Freih / Hazem Sabbagh

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