Moscow: Extending a red carpet welcome to visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who won the Presidential election for the fourth time in his country, Russian President Vladimir Putin today said it is only by consolidating all the forces in Syria that the country can rebound and generate positive momentum in its development.
“I know that you are doing a great deal along these lines, including efforts to establish a dialogue with your political opponents. I really hope that this process continues,” Putin told Bashar.
Putin further told Bashar that that by working together, “we have liberated most of the territory of the Syrian Republic, dealing the terrorists a heavy, damaging blow”. He claimed that the Syrian government now controls 90 percent of the country’s territory.
I believe that the main problem lies in the presence in some parts of the country of foreign armed forces without any mandate from the United Nations or your permission, which clearly runs counter to international law and undermines your ability to use your best efforts to consolidate the country and promote recovery at a pace that would have been possible, if the legitimate government controlled the entire country.
Putin though regretted that there were still some pockets of resistance, where the terrorists not only control part of the territory but also continue to terrorise peaceful civilians. “Nevertheless, refugees are actively returning to the liberated areas. I actually saw during my visit, which I made at your invitation, that people are working hard to rebuild their houses and resume a peaceful life in every sense of the word,” he said.
The Russian President added: “Our joint efforts are producing a result. I am talking now not only about Russia’s humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, but also about the development of our trade and economic ties. During the first six months of this year, our trade increased by 250 percent.” He also referred to both countries working together to deal with the coronavirus infection. “The first batches of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light have been delivered to Syria. I hope that our joint efforts will help the Syrian people get back on their feet in every sense of the word, will help them restore the economy, the social sphere and healthcare, first of all as regards the current challenges,” he said.
Bashar on his part said that the Russian and Syrian armed forces had achieved considerable results “not only in the liberation of the territories occupied by the militants and in wiping away terrorism, but they have also facilitated the return of the refugees, who had to flee from their homes and their country”.
“Since international terrorism knows no borders and is spreading around the world like a virus, I can testify that our two armies have made a huge contribution to the protection of humankind from this evil,” he added.
Claiming that their joint political initiatives had helped bring life back to normal in the Syria, Bashar though said that the political processes that both the countries carried out, had been in a state of stagnation for the past three years. “Of course, there are reasons for this. There are countries that have been going to great lengths to undermine these political processes. There are other factors as well, and we are aware of them and are doing everything we can to address these urgent matters,” he said.
Without naming the USA, Bashar said some countries had imposed sanctions on the Syrian people, and these measures were clearly inhumane, directed against the state and are illegitimate. “Despite all this, these sanctions are still in force,” he said.
Bashar especially thanked the Russian] Foreign Ministry for its “clear and firm position and policy line on the international stage to stand up for the legitimate, universally recognised international principles and norms”.
“I would like to thank your Foreign Ministry for staying true to this policy line on the international stage, as I have already said, in order to prevent the spread of terrorism to the benefit of countries that support terrorism and seek to use it to further their own agenda.
“I would like to take this opportunity and convey through you our gratitude to the Russian state, the Russian people and every citizen in person for the humanitarian aid that the Russian Federation has been generously providing to the Syrian Arab Republic that has been suffering for so long, including the medicine for treating and preventing the spread of the coronavirus, as well as other kinds of assistance, including food and other essential supplies that Russia has been sending to Syria,” Bashar said.
– global bihari bureau
