Syria, 2010

Allow me to congratulate Mr. Joseph Deiss

personally, as well as his country, Switzerland, on his

election to the presidency of the sixty-fifth session of

the General Assembly. His experience and competence

qualify him to ably discharge his responsibilities, and I

wish him every success in his endeavours. I also thank

his predecessor, Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, and extend

to him and his fraternal country our appreciation for

his skilful stewardship of the work of the General

Assembly during the previous session. I would also

like to express to the Secretary-General our

appreciation and wishes for success in fulfilling the

tasks entrusted to him.

The Middle East region has been rife with

tensions for many decades. It has survived major

events and numerous wars. The policies, interests and

trends that have unfolded on its soil have converged at

times but clashed at others. Due to its geographic

location, the Middle East influences neighbouring

countries in Asia, Europe and Africa and is, in turn,

influenced by them. Syria, which lies at the heart of the

Middle East, has experienced these tensions, policies,

events and outcomes and has reacted to them.

This fact — which has spelled both positive and

negative consequences for the Syrian Arab Republic —

prompted us to define our perspective in addressing

external issues, particularly the nature of our

international relations. Safeguarding and sustaining

Syrian and Arab interests is our priority. Therefore, our

door remains open for an in depth and meaningful

dialogue aimed at reconciling differences with others

and reaching common ground on the basis of which

progress can be made. That was our response when

Syria endured attempts to isolate and blockade it, a

response we reaffirm today as Syria discharges its role

as a major player in matters related to the security and

stability of the region. We believe that civilized

international relations must be built on openness and

dialogue as opposed to insularity, isolation,

confrontation and aggression. This is our approach,

which we hope will prevail in a world driven by

multiple interests and perspectives, overwhelmed by

problems and complications, yet at the same time

sustained by hopes and noble visions.

The world has declared that it is determined to

achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle

East, and has stressed that peace is an urgent

prerequisite for the maintenance of security and

stability in the region. In Israel, there is much talk

about peace, yet the drums of war continue to sound.

Land appropriation for settlement-building goes on

unabated. Peace negotiations, we are told, are currently

under way on the basis of the two-State solution, but

settlement activities are about to make this two-State

solution a dead letter that stands no chance of survival.

Israel is intensely pursuing its Judaization plans for

Jerusalem in order to depopulate it of its Palestinian

inhabitants. Israeli actions threaten the safety of

Jerusalem’s holy sites. Through settlement activities,

actions and declarations concerning Jerusalem, Israel

pursues a fait accompli policy on the basis of which it

imposes its will regardless of whether negotiations

continue or stall.

Peace can be genuine only if there is a genuine

will to make peace. That is the litmus test. Political

manoeuvres during negotiations under the umbrella of

the desire for peace strain and exacerbate the situation

and may make it more volatile and explosive.

Syria seeks a just and comprehensive peace

achieved through the implementation of Security

Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and the

Arab Peace Initiative. Our position has been known

and declared for years. We have the will to make peace

and we are the masters of our decision, which is

unwavering. The occupied Syrian Golan is not

negotiable nor is it a bargaining chip. Recognition of

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the fact that it must be returned fully is the basis on

which peacemaking arrangements should be made.

Syria is ready to resume peace negotiations from the

point where they stopped, through the Turkish

mediator, if it finds in Israel a partner committed to the

terms of reference of peacemaking, and if that partner

has the political will to achieve peace.

We note with satisfaction the objective opinion of

the report of the Human Rights Council fact-finding

mission investigating the Israeli attack on the freedom

flotilla that was headed to Gaza on an exclusively

humanitarian mission (A/HRC/15/21). We look

forward to the conclusions to be drawn from the report

of the international commission now that the necessary

legal grounds and supporting evidence have been

established by the Human Rights Council’s fact-finding

mission.

Syria is a fraternal Arab neighbour of Iraq. For

us, Iraq thus remains a subject of interest and a cause

for concern, particularly when the situation there

deteriorates. We embrace any improvement in

conditions there with a major sense of relief. The

restoration of Iraq’s full sovereignty and independence,

the preservation of its Arab and Islamic identity, the

unity of its people and its territorial integrity are of

utmost priority for our approach towards Iraq and its

future. Undoubtedly, national unity remains the

cornerstone of a secure, prosperous and strong Iraq.

We have called for the withdrawal of all foreign

forces from Iraq. In this context, the partial withdrawal

of the American forces from Iraq constitutes, in our

view, a positive first step in the direction of Iraq’s

assumption of its power over its own affairs and the

restoration of its full sovereignty over its territories.

We hope that Iraq will ultimately develop strong

military and security capabilities to safeguard its

internal security and safety as an independent and

sovereign State.

It should be reiterated that Iraqi security is

contingent upon its national unity and is based on its

Arab-Islamic identity and the principle of the

participation of all segments of Iraqi society in

building their country’s present and future. Syria is

willing to cooperate with Iraq in every aspect to serve

Iraq’s interests and the common interests of our two

fraternal countries.

My country has been advocating the

establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the

Middle East since 2003, a demand we included in a

draft resolution we presented to the Security Council at

the time. We continue to stress that Israel must be

made to comply with international decisions calling on

it to adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to submit its nuclear

installations to the comprehensive International Atomic

Energy Agency safeguards regime. Israel’s accession to

the Treaty is of extreme significance for the security

and stability of our region.

We often wonder why some States talk about the

universality of the NPT but hasten to make strenuous

efforts to shelter Israel from the Agency’s oversight.

They are encouraging Israel to continue to develop its

nuclear military programme, which is a cause of

concern to the people of the region. Furthermore, this

policy of double standards runs counter to the

non-proliferation prerequisites, not only in the Middle

East region, but also in the world at large.

We reaffirm that all States have the right to

acquire nuclear technology for peaceful uses, as

guaranteed by the NPT. We also call for the peaceful

resolution of all disputes relevant to this aspect through

dialogue.

Syria follows the developments in the Sudan

because we are dedicated to the Sudan’s unity,

sovereignty, security and stability. In that context, we

are grateful to the State of Qatar, the League of Arab

States and the African Union for their efforts. We also

appreciate and support the African Union’s efforts in

settling disputes in the Sudan and other conflict zones

on the African continent, and in promoting Africa’s

role within the international system.

We also strongly reiterate our call to lift the

embargo that has been imposed on Cuba for decades.

The world has suffered numerous natural

disasters this year resulting from climate change and

global warming. We all know that these disasters are

but a prelude to more severe and wider-scale calamities

that could well threaten natural life on this planet. We

have an obligation towards nature, yet we have

exceeded all limits in abusing it.

Many countries have chosen to ignore the

warnings of scientists and the ominous signals from

nature. We must rise to this serious challenge and

assume our historic responsibility, so as to make up for

past imbalances and shortcomings.

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We look forward to an expression of international

solidarity in Cancún, Mexico, based on scientific

evidence and on the principle of common but

differentiated responsibilities. It is our hope that the

Cancún outcome will take into account the priorities of

sustainable development in order to arrive at a

comprehensive and legally binding post-2012

framework agreement. We believe that it is extremely

important to address the shortcomings of Copenhagen

and to renew the commitment to the Bali Action Plan

and the premises of the Kyoto Protocol.

The painful situation in Pakistan, a typical

symptom of climate change, is yet another example of

the devastating disasters that we must expect unless we

work seriously and collectively to address this grave

situation. The people and Government of my country,

Syria, wholeheartedly sympathize with Pakistan and

other disaster-stricken countries. I stress the urgent

need for States to increase assistance to Pakistan, both

in cash and in kind, to mitigate the tragic and

widespread damage there and prevent any further

exacerbation of the situation.

We aspire to a better, more just and secure world

and look forward to strengthening and revitalizing the

role of the United Nations and guaranteeing respect for

international law. We must not forget, though, that our

planet Earth is home to the world we are aspiring to

build. This home is besieged by an ominous

phenomenon, climate change, which entails tragic

consequences for humanity. This year was only a

prelude to what is yet to come. We sincerely hope that

the Cancún conference will be the herald of a direly

needed rescue effort.