The United Nations is focused on the political process in Syria rather than on issues of the reconstruction of the country, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.
"Our focus right now continues to be on political solutions. I don’t really have any update on the reconstruction," he told a briefing.
He gave no unambiguous answer to a TASS question about a secret directive to UN structures not to fund economic revival projects in Syria that had been mentioned by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier. "I saw the question you and a number of Russian colleagues have sent about this reported secret directive. I expect to have an update a bit later," the UN spokesperson said.
Earlier on Monday, Lavrov said that the United Nations secretariat has issued a secret directive demanding all UN structures refrain from participating in any projects geared to revive Syria’s economy until political transition in that country was over.
The Russian top diplomat said he had discussed that topic with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and hoped the UN chief would see into the matter. He recalled that "the United Nations system was established on the principles of the United Nations Charter, on the basis of respect to the equality of all states" and called on Western partners "to get back to these principles and refrain from trying to use international organizations inconspicuously.".
