Conditions not ready for removing Syria's HTS from UN sanctions: spokesperson

BEIJING, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Conditions are not yet ready for removing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its key members from the sanctions list of the UN Security Council's 1267 Committee, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

Guo made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to a query that individual countries suggested lifting the U.N. Security Council sanctions on HTS.

Syria must firmly oppose all forms of terrorist and extremist forces, Guo said.

"We noted it is widely believed that currently, conditions are not yet ready for removing the relevant Syrian organization and its key members from the sanctions list of the UN Security Council's 1267 Committee, and China also has serious reservations about this," Guo said.

China urges the new Syrian authorities to take concrete measures to actively respond to the concerns of the international community, including China, regarding terrorism, he said.  ■