UN Syria envoy says cross-border access must stay open

UNITED NATIONS: The UN's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Friday added his voice to calls to keep open the only border crossing through which humanitarian aid reaches the insurgent Idlib region, a move opposed by Moscow. Aside from being the sole point through which aid can reach some three million people, the fate of the crossing is seen as a test of the new Russia-US relationship under the leadership of President Joe Biden. It is due to close on July 10, and will require a UN vote to stay open.

But Russia, which is allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has made clear its opposition to a move which it says threatens Syrian sovereignty, may use its veto power on the UN Security Council to block it.

"Civilians across the country desperately need life-saving assistance and help building resilience. It is absolutely vital to maintain and expand access, including cross-border and cross-line operations," Pedersen told the Security Council. "A large-scale cross-border response is essential for an additional 12 months to save lives," he said. The authorization has been in force since 2014. But last year, Moscow - using its veto repeatedly - implemented a drastic reduction on the number of crossing points, from four to the one which remains, at Bab al-Hawa on the Turkish border.

Ireland and Norway, non-permanent members of the Security Council, presented a draft resolution Friday that seeks to keep Bab al-Hawa open for one year and to reopen a second crossing point, Al-Yarubiyah, which allows supplies to reach Syria's northeast from Iraq.

The United States, France and Britain - all permanent members of the council - had wanted the reopening also of the Bab al-Salam crossing point in the northwest on the Turkish border, which was among those closed last year, diplomats have said.

Biden discussed the subject with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a recent summit in Geneva, and US media has suggested that keeping the crossings open could signal a shift in the relationship between Washington and Moscow, which has turned frosty since Biden came to power.