Damascus, SANA-Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad , participated in the 2nd Global South Voice Summit, held today in India, with the presence of senior officials and foreign ministers from several countries .
The participants in the event ratified the need to strengthen cooperation between Southern countries, promote bilateral relations, increase investments and contribute to the development of programs that promote sustainable development between these nations.
In his speech delivered via videoconference Mikdad referred to the increase in conflicts, terrorist acts, economic crises, hate speech and racism that the world is witnessing today and criticized some Western countries which are members in the Security Council for creating, inflaming ,prolonging crises, and hindering their settlement at the expense of the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter.
“We have witnessed a clear example of this policy followed by the collective West regarding what the Israeli occupation authorities are doing in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza Strip, which has become a cemetery for children, under a false pretext based on a distorted and misleading interpretation of the right to self-defense, which an occupier cannot invoke,” Mikdad said.
Mikdad indicated that “Today, more than ever before, we need to strengthen solidarity between our countries to uphold the principles of international law, the provisions of the United Nations Charter, and common human and civilizational values and to affirm that can only be achieved by fulfilling the UN promise to save humanity from the scourge of war and foster cooperation to achieve sustainable development goals.”
Mikdad pointed out that the catastrophic effects of unilateral and inhuman coercive measures imposed on the Syrian people , resulting in a decline in macroeconomic indicators, low domestic product, high unemployment rates, emigration of national competencies, low per capita income associated with high levels of inflation and deterioration of the Syrian pound’s value , in addition to limiting the ability of State institutions to ensure the health, education and social support of Syrian citizens’ human and social services.
Mikdad thanked India and countries which have stood by the Syrian people over the past years and during the earthquake.
Mikdad reiterated Syria’s support of the peoples’ aspirations to achieve the goals of sustainable development, and thanked the friendly country of India for its initiative to organize this summit, which is being held under difficult and exceptional circumstances witnessed by the international arena in general and our region in particular.