8 Nations' Ambassadors Urge UN Chief to Help Lift Unilateral Sanctions

A group of countries including Iran, Russia, Venezuela, China, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Syria sent a joint letter to the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday, calling for an immediate lift of unilateral sanctions which hinder efforts of countries fight against the coronavirus, According to a statement issued by Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday.

Given the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the issue of removing such obstacles in the way of meeting emergency medical supplies is of particular importance, it added.

The statement said that the UN Security Council has excluded humanitarian items from its sanctions mechanisms.

Such mechanisms were expected to work and not be ignored for political concerns of certain countries, it added, saying that it is the only way to avoid harmful consequences of sanctions for people.

The United States has imposed a variety of illegal sanctions on countries such as Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and Cuba so far.