Washington’s newly appointed Syria envoy announced Tuesday that the U.S. is suspending Syrian Embassy operations in the U.S.
“In consideration of the atrocities the Assad regime has committed against the Syrian people, we have determined it is unacceptable for individuals appointed by that regime to conduct diplomatic or consular operations in the United States,” said Daniel Rubinstein, Washington’s special envoy for Syria, in a statement released to the press.
He said the announcement follows the suspension of consular services by the Syrian government at its embassy in Washington, D.C. The U.S. also informed the Syrian government that it must suspend operations at its honorary consulates in Houston, Texas and Troy, Michigan in addition to its Washington embassy.
Syrian diplomats who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are required to leave the U.S. as well.
Rubinstein said that Washington will maintain diplomatic relations with the Syrian state “as an expression of our longstanding ties with the Syrian people, an interest that will endure long after Bashar al-Assad leaves power.”
He added, “The United States will continue to assist those seeking change in Syria, to help end the slaughter, and to resolve the crisis through negotiations – for the benefit of the Syrian people.”
englishnews@aa.com.tr
