Syria Says U.N. Aid Resolution Must Respect 'Sovereignty'

Syria said Sunday it is ready to cooperate with a rare U.N. Security Council resolution to allow humanitarian access, so long as it respects "state sovereignty."

The foreign ministry also said that the "root causes" of the humanitarian crisis must be treated, singling out "foreign-backed terrorism" and sanctions placed on President Bashar Assad's regime by Western and Arab countries.

The Security Council, which has been sharply divided over the nearly three-year Syrian conflict, unanimously adopted resolution 2139 on Saturday, calling for humanitarian aid convoys to be allowed access across the war-torn country.

According to the ministry statement, which was published by state news agency SANA, Syria is ready to cooperate with the U.N. mission and international humanitarian organizations "to agree on the implementation of resolution 2139."

It said the resolution must be implemented "with respect for the principles laid out in the U.N. Charter, international law and the basic foundations of humanitarian work, especially state sovereignty and the role of the state, and principles of neutrality, transparency and non-politicized assistance."

Damascus said the resolution, which condemns terror attacks by al-Qaida-linked organizations, was an "admission" by the Security Council of the presence of "extremist al-Qaida-linked terrorism" in Syria.

It described the U.N. condemnation as "a step in the right direction."

Since the March 2011 start of Syria's uprising -- which began as peaceful protests but escalated into a civil war after security forces repeatedly attacked demonstrators -- Assad's regime has blamed the violence on foreign-backed "terrorism."

An estimated 140,000 people have been killed since the start of the uprising and millions more have been displaced.

The ministry said the latest resolution "must be followed by steps to force states involved in providing financial and military support, training, refuge and arms to terrorist groups in Syria to stop supporting terrorism."

The statement appeared aimed at Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, which have supported the rebels battling Assad's forces. The regime has received support from Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Hizbullah.

The statement also lashed out against sanctions imposed on Syria's regime as "harming the living conditions of Syrian citizens."

Syria's staunch ally Russia, with support from China, had blocked three previous resolutions aimed at pressuring the Damascus regime since March 2011.

But Moscow and Beijing, two of the five permanent Security Council members, did not do so this time, sending a strong message to Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose government is accused of serious rights violations.

The U.N. Security Council resolution calls on "all parties to immediately lift the sieges of populated areas."

It also demanded the immediate withdrawal from Syria of "all foreign fighters," while stressing that "terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security."

The resolution also called for an end to air strikes and the use of explosive-packed barrel bombs by the regime air force, and for all parties to "immediately cease all attacks against civilians."

It called on all sides, "in particular the Syrian authorities, (to) promptly allow rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for U.N. humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, including across conflict lines and across borders."

An earlier draft of the resolution had threatened sanctions should Syria fail to comply, but Russia refused and distributed a draft of its own, which included the language on "fighting terrorism" in Syria.

The resolution is the second Security Council decision since Syria's war began. It follows a decision ordering the destruction of Syria's chemical arsenal, after an August 21, 2013 chemical attack near Damascus killed hundreds of people.