UN Security Council strongly condemns attacks on diplomatic premises in Syria

The UN Security Council on Tuesday expressed its strong condemnation of recent attacks on diplomatic posts in Syria, reiterating its call on the Syrian authorities to protect diplomatic and consular property and personnel in the country. "The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attacks against several embassies and consular premises in Syria, which have resulted in intrusions into diplomatic and consular premises causing serious damage," the 15-nation Security Council said in a statement issued to the press here. Ongoing tensions that began in March in Syria between supporters of President Bashar Assad and protesters calling for his ouster have resulted in attacks by Assad supporters on foreign embassies and consular buildings, including those of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan and Qatar, reports said. Several of the attacks followed the decision by the Arab League (AL) on Nov. 12 to suspend Syria's membership, following difficulties implementing a peace deal in Syria and in starting up a dialogue between the government and the opposition. In the press statement, the council "reiterated their call on the Syrian authorities to protect diplomatic and consular property and personnel and fully respect their international obligations in this regard." The council invoked the principle of protection of diplomatic outposts in its condemnation of the Syrian attacks. "The members of the Security Council recalled the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and the obligations on host governments, including under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises against any intrusion or damage and prevent any disturbance of the peace of these missions or impairment of their dignity," the statement added.