MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Western sanctions are standing in the way of the renewal of manufacturing in the Syrian province of Aleppo and, above all, prevent local residents from receiving necessary medical supplies and treatment, Hussein Diab, the governor of the province of Aleppo, said Wednesday.
"I would like to use this opportunity to reiterate our demand to lift unjust sanctions which are aimed against the Syrian people, above all, that hindered and keep hindering the restart of local manufacturing, first of all, the pharmaceutical and medical production. [The sanctions] hinder supplying our people with necessary medicaments and medical services," Diab said at a teleconference "Aleppo: the city without terror."
The governor thanked the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for the Reconciliation for its work in Aleppo and called on the international community to join the efforts in rebuilding the city, specifically urging de-mining specialists to get involved.
According to the Council of the European Union, the sanctions currently include an oil embargo, restrictions on some investments and on exports of certain equipment and technology to Syria that may be used for what it termed as "internal repression." However, local doctors have told Sputnik that sanctions were making it extremely difficult to procure pharmaceuticals.
The city of Aleppo was completely liberated by government troops in December 2016. Western areas of the Aleppo province are part of one of the de-escalation zones that were established in May during the talks on the Syrian settlement in the Kazakh capital of Astana.
