Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria
February 26, 2015 Thursday
French delegation visits French Hospital and Armenian Church, Vial to
SANA: siege on Syria unreasonable
Damascus, SANA- French Senate member, Head of the Senate’s
French-Syrian Friendship Committee Jean-Pierre Vial and member of the
Senate and Mayor of Laval city François Zocchetto inspected the work
of the French Hospital in Damascus and the services it provides.
The senates were briefed on the needs of the Hospital and mechanisms
of work as well as the bad effects of the crisis on medical
institution in terms of capacity and medical equipment and drugs.
On the situation of the Hospital, Sister John Feiv said that a big
volume of medicine and equipment are not available in most cases due
to the siege and sanctions impost on the country.
She stressed that the French policy towards Syria should change
because the situation is getting more deteriorated, highlighting the
great sufferings of Syrians in different areas, particularly residents
of Hasaka where terrorist besiege its towns, leading to the death of
many children.
The two senates also visited Armenian Orthodox Church of Damascus
Diocese where they met Bishop Armash Nalbandian, who explained the
situation in Syria in general and particularly in cities of Damascus
and Aleppo in spite of the crisis taking place in the country.
For his part, Bishop Nalbandian indicated that national unity is still
embracing the fabric of the Syrian society, and all Syrian spectra are
united in countering the takfiri ideology that is targeting Syria.
He added that Turkey has played a big aggressive role in the crisis,
opening its borders to the terrorist organizations where perpetrated
massacres against the Syrian Armenians in the city of Kassab and other
Syrian cities, as their Ottoman predecessors did in 1915, committing
horrific genocide against the Armenians.
Bishop Nalbandian stressed that Armenians are deeply rooted in their
homeland, Syria, and they are part and parcel of the Syrian people, as
they wish that the solution to the crisis should be comprehensive- not
restricted to particular cities.
“A lot of innocent people in Damascus have been killed in almost daily
terrorist attacks with rocket and mortar shells,” Bishop Nalbandian
said, adding that the Church was targeted twice last year leaving many
children dead.
Vial stressed that the delegation’s visit to Syria is very important,
clarifying that Syria has always been a place for all sects and it is
exemplary for the co-existence and tolerance among its people.
In a statement to SANA, Vial considered that the siege imposed on
Syria has become unreasonable and it increases sufferings of the
Syrian people and leads to the lack of basic needs, especially
medicines.
He clarified that the delegation visited makeshift centers,
international organizations, schools, clergymen, hospitals in addition
to visiting a number of Syrian officials, pointing out that the
absence of France from Syria is because of its Embassy’s shutdown,
which should be put into consideration for restoring relations between
the two countries.
Vial said the latest attacks that hit Europe and France caused a shock
to the Europeans, who thought that terrorism is a plague targets
others in Syria and the Middle East and it will not reach them, yet it
turned out and reached Europe.
On the crisis in Syria, Vial saw that the solution lies in Aleppo
initiative proposed by the UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura and
supported by the Syrian government, as it should be accompanied with
the support of effective states to bear responsibility in this regard.
Rasha Milhem/ Barry