Syria warned today of safe zones for civilians that U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in creating, saying it would have to come in coordination with the Syrian government, otherwise it would be unsafe and violate the Arab nation's sovereignty.
The announcement was made in Damascus by Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem during a meeting with the head of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, Filippo Grandi, who began an official visit to Syria today.
The announcement came about a week after the Trump administration's expressed interest in setting up safe zones for civilians war-torn Syria. The announcement was greeted with caution by Russia and Turkey, who have taken the lead in the latest peace efforts to end the Mideast country's devastating six-year war.
The idea of safe zones, proposed by both Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton during the U.S. presidential election campaign, was ruled out by the Obama administration for fear it would put U.S. Aircraft in harm's way with Russia waging an air campaign to aid Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces since September 2015.
The recent rapprochement between Russia and Turkey, a key backer of Syrian rebels which now has thousands of troops in northern Syria, in theory makes the creation of safe zones more achievable. So does Trump's pledge to mend ties with Moscow.
However, Syrian state news agency, SANA, said the foreign ministry and UNHCR officials agreed that any attempt to impose safe zones without coordination with the Syrian government will be an "unsafe act and will pose a violation of the Syrian sovereignty."
Meanwhile, Al-Moallem called on all Syrians refugees who fled the war in their homeland to return home, pledging that the government will meet all their needs. It was not clear if the call was related to Trump's signing of executive orders placing a 90-day ban on travel to the U.S. By citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen, and a 120-day suspension of the U.S. Refugee program. Syrians are indefinitely blocked from entry.
Syria's conflict, which began in March 2011, has displaced half the country's population and sent more than four million Syrians as refugees, mostly to neighboring countries.
SANA said al-Moallem briefed Grandi on the "huge efforts" the Syrian government is exerting to improve the living conditions of its people and the displaced as well.
For his part, Grandi stressed that the offering of humanitarian aid will continue.
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