UN Council debates Syria’s transition, sanctions relief

Shafaq News – New York

The UN Security Council on Wednesday held broad discussions on Syria’s post-war transition, with several member states urging the easing of sanctions and backing Damascus’s reintegration into regional diplomacy.

Syria’s UN envoy Ibrahim al-Olabi called for international support to help refugees return and to rebuild the country, while demanding an end to Israeli attacks and “a genuine partnership” with the Syrian government. He said more than one million refugees had returned home in recent months, calling it “a sign of confidence in Syria’s recovery.”

US Ambassador Mike Waltz urged the council to support easing sanctions “to allow humanitarian relief and post-war recovery,” and welcomed Syria’s cooperation with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and its engagement with regional partners.

Meanwhile, UK’s Ambassador James Kariuki called the recent parliamentary elections “an important step toward political transition,” while encouraging broader representation in upcoming polls.