Brazil expresses concern over escalation of conflict in Syria

The Brazilian government Friday expressed concern over the escalation of the military conflict in Syria, which culminated in a U.S. attack on Thursday.

The government reaffirmed its consternation over the reported use of chemical weapons in an incident in Idlib, and stressed the importance of ample investigations into the incident and the ensuing punishment of those responsible.

"The solution to the Syrian conflict requires effective dialogue and full respect of international laws. In this context, we renew the support of the attempts conducted in Geneva, under the aegis of the United Nations and based on the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," it said.

The Brazilian Foreign Ministry also said that it has been in touch with the Brazilian community in Syria and found that, so far, there is no information on Brazilian citizens among the victims of the attacks. The ministry also said that it is at Brazilian citizens' disposal for aid and further clarifications.

Since the ongoing Syrian conflict, Brazil has been receiving a large influx of refugees from Syria. In 2013, the government authorized diplomatic representations abroad to issue special visas for Syrians asking for refuge.

Over 2,300 Syrian refugees are now living in Brazil, with Syria being the country of origin of the largest number of those refugees. Endi