Thaindian News

Damascus, March 7 (IANS) Syria has condemned the latest US sanctions against the state media, and termed the measures as “hostile”, Xinhua reported.

“Imposing sanctions on a national media institution, which expresses the voice of the Syrian people and their interests and aspirations, exposes the hectic media campaign against Syria,” Information Minister Adnan Mahmoud said in a statement carried by state-run SANA news agency.

The minister said the decision reflects a “unilateral US vision” linked to predetermined political agenda contradicting ethical and professional media standards.

“This act will not dissuade us from continuing our noble work to serve all Syrians and broaden popular dialogue and interaction to push national reform forward,” he said.

“The US proves once again through this procedure the falsity of its support for media freedom,” he said.

“The timing of the sanctions coincides with the successful experience of our national media in following up with political and media pluralism, as it succeeded in attracting the public opinion,” he said.

On Monday, the US slapped sanctions on Syria’s General Organization of Radio and TV.

The US Department of Treasury said that as a state-run agency under Syria’s ministry of information, the organisation was responsible for operating Syria’s state-owned TV channels, two terrestrial and one satellite, as well as the government radio stations.