Syrian opposition: UN insufficient to ensure security

By Feride Pelin Inal and Busranur Begcecanli

GAZIANTEP, Turkey (AA) – The Syrian opposition said on Thursday that the United Nations remains incapable of providing regional security and stability.

"The UN is insufficient to ensure regional security and stability. The reason is that Russia always vetoes the decisions of the UN," said Naser al-Hariri, Geneva negotiations head of the High Negotiations Committee.

Ahead of Friday’s meeting of the UN Security Council, Hariri blamed Russia for not being objective and providing financial and logistic support to the Assad regime.

He added that the increasing humanitarian crisis will also pose a threat to bordering countries due to the refugee influx.

He went on to say that Turkey has played an influential role in the region as a guarantor country in accordance with the Sochi Agreement inked last September with Iran and Russia to create a new de-escalation zone in Syria’s Idlib region.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected severity.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar