President Al-Assad in an interview with Sputnik: My visit to Moscow will pave the way for a new phase in relations between two countries
President Bashar Al-Assad affirmed that his visit to Moscow and his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin will pave the way for a new stage in relations and cooperation between the two countries. It was agreed to implement 40 investment projects in addition to developing a joint Syrian-Russian vision to deal with the next stage in light of changing alliances in the world.
In an interview today with the Russian agency Sputnik, President Al-Assad indicated that his meeting with the Turkish president is linked to reaching a stage in which Turkey is clearly and without any ambiguity ready to completely exit Syrian territory, stop supporting terrorism, and restore the situation to what it was before the start of the war in Syria.
The following is the full transcript of the interview:
Question: Mr. President, thank you very much for meeting us, after the important talks with President Putin. You are accompanied by a large delegation that came from Syria to Moscow. These are very important negotiations. Tell us what were the main results of your meetings and what is new in the Russian-Syrian relations?
President Al-Assad: During the past years, during the years of the war in Syria, meetings with President Putin always touched on important files. We can say that all visits were important, but this visit can be characterized as more important from two aspects: the first aspect is the political aspect, and it is the first meeting between President Putin and myself after the start of the Ukrainian war, and perhaps after the end of the Corona crisis, because Corona and the Ukrainian war affected the overall general situation in the world. Now we see that the alliances in the world have changed, and it was necessary to hold a discussion, to analyze this situation in order to develop a joint Syrian-Russian vision, in which we determine how to deal with this next stage on the one hand. On the other hand, the joint committees met several times between the Russian and the Syrian parties, but the results were not at the level of our ambitions. There is trade exchange and development, but it is still low.
President Al-Assad added: This time, the meeting of the joint committee focused on specific points, specifically on investment projects. The agreement that will be signed is directed towards 40 specific investment projects in the fields of energy, transportation, housing, and industry. So from an economic point of view, it is a new joint project with regard to the relationship, so as you said at the beginning, the delegation is large because work on this agreement took years, not months. But the intense work has been in recent months.
The second point is the global transformations, but for us in Syria, we are primarily concerned with the Turkish issue, and the negotiations with the Turkish side, given that Turkey is part of the war in Syria and has forces occupying our lands.
Question: If we could talk about trade and economic cooperation, would it be possible to specify the amounts that were agreed upon within the agreement?
President Al-Assad: Currently, the projects are being studied, and the agreement will be signed within weeks, but this point was left to each project and each company separately, as each project will be evaluated separately later. This is part of the mechanism for following up projects and making them successful, but it will come later. The idea was that the objectives of the agreement were more important than the numbers currently.
Question: These days, we mourn and support the Syrian people who suffered from the terrible earthquake. Russia provided assistance, and our agency “Sputnik” made a contribution and collected 25 tons of humanitarian aid and delivered it to the Children’s Hospital in Hama. Was additional assistance discussed during your meeting with President Putin and during the meetings of delegations to help overcome the aftermath of the earthquake?
President Al-Assad: Actually, this issue was not the core of the talks today. I conveyed my thanks to President Putin and the Russian government for their assistance because the Russian government set out on its own from the first hours to help Syria, and the Russian army participated in the rescue operations, and this aid is still continuing. There is another aspect to the support related to the earthquake, which is related to reconstruction and returning the displaced to their homes. Before we ask for help from any party, we have to put mechanisms and structures in Syria specifically for the reconstruction process, and this is what we are doing. Then we can ask countries to contribute with us in the reconstruction process, and return the displaced to their places of origin or other places of residence.
Question: These days mark the 20th anniversary of the United States attack on Iraq contrary to the Charter of the United Nations, and since then there have been aggressive actions all over the world that have left many victims. People die in Syria, and people are currently dying in Donbass. All this is because of the aggressive policy of the United States and its allies, how can we put an end to this?
President Al-Assad: You need several axes in parallel in order to reach this result. The United States is still a superpower, even if it may be in decline, but we cannot come and say that there is a country that will stop this American aggression that has lasted for at least three decades since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and perhaps more than that, since the Korean War. But there are different ways. First, if we are talking about political action, there must be an alliance between several countries. Russia and China bear a great responsibility in this matter, and there are BRICS countries and other countries that have begun to move away from the United States, and have begun to lose confidence in it, and feel that the United States is a threat to global stability.
The USA is waging all the wars for the US dollar. Therefore when there is an economic alliance there is an alternative to the dollar, for any country that desires. Then the United States will not be able to control the fate of the economy of countries and people, and then there will be an end to these wars. So if we are talking about a monetary and economic policy, there are BRICS countries, as I said, that are part of this alliance. Thus the international public awareness is gradually taking shape, and thus over a period of time the United States, which will besiege the world, will become besieged and isolated. This country that wants to invade the world will not be able to take the benefits from the invasion, and then the situation of the world will change.
Question: You referred to the special military operation and that it was the first meeting between you and President Putin after the special operation, and you expressed your support for the measures taken by Russia. Please tell us how this support can be? And if Syrian citizens will go to volunteer on the side of Russia in the special military operation? How many will they be?
President Al-Assad: If volunteers go, they will not go through the Syrian state, but rather they will go directly to communicate with the Russian parties concerned with this issue, and we will not know about this. Certainly the Syrian people have great enthusiasm in favor of Russia, for various reasons -On the one hand a kind of loyalty because Russia stood with the Syrian people against terrorism, and on the other hand there is a more global view of this war, that this war will begin to change the international balance, because part of the suffering of Syria, Iraq and many other countries is caused by the one pole. So when Russia wins this war as most Syrians wish, there must be a new, safer and more secure world. This is how the Syrians view the actual impact of this war .
Question: If we talk about political support, does Syria recognize the new regions that joined Russia and the new borders of Russia?
President Al-Assad: We recognized these areas before they were annexed to Russia, when there was a referendum and even before this independence took place. I received a delegation from Donbass several months before the war, and I told them we are ready to recognize you from now on, and later I told them we recognized you even before Russia. So this issue for us was clear from the beginning, and we do not hesitate in our positions. Syria’s positions are clear and at the same time decisive, and we have conviction in this issue, not only for the sake of friendship with Russia, but also because these lands are Russian. There are facts on the ground indicating that it is Russian territory, and we are convinced of this position.
Question: Will Syria recognize the new borders of Russia?
President Al-Assad: Of course. I say it is Russian territory, and even if the war did not take place, it is historically Russian territory.
Question: If we talk about the global repercussions of this conflict, many say that it may lead to the outbreak of a third world war, what do you think?
President Al-Assad: I believe that the Third World War is still ongoing, but the form has changed. I mean, in the past, the World War was a conventional war, with armies from several countries working against several other countries. Now this situation exists, but because of advanced weapons, especially nuclear weapons, there is a deterrent force for conventional war, so wars go towards proxy wars. That is why Zelensky is today waging a war on behalf of the West, with his army, of course, of the Nazis. The same can be said about the terrorists who are armies operating on behalf of the West in Syria and in other regions.
Question: Mr. President, can you confirm to us what was published by the Syrian News Agency “SANA” that the United States of America continues to train terrorists in its bases that are illegally located in Syrian territory, such as Al-Tanf, for example?
President AL-Assad: We are in direct confrontation with the terrorist groups near Al-Tanf area, and of course we know through these clashes and the people who are arrested where they come from. Al-Tanf is a camp full of terrorists and has no other purpose. What does the United States benefit from its presence in this region – in the heart of a desert region? There is no doubt that it has camps for terrorists in which there are tens of thousands of people with their families, and it sends these people from time to time to carry out attacks against the Syrian army with the aim of dispersing the Syrian formations in different directions. We are sure of this and the evidence is on the ground.
Question: Is there any information about the transfer of militants from Al-Tanf to Ukraine?
President AL-Assad: We have no evidence for this, but this is expected. The United States transports terrorists from one place to another, in addition to the fact that terrorists move normally, but the terrorists present in Syria are those who are so-called “Islamic terrorists”, of course, who use religion as a cover.
There is no religious war in Ukraine, and they exist according to videos circulating on the Internet. They did not go for the cause of jihad. Certainly there are those who took these terrorists, and certainly this was carried out under the supervision of the United States and its agents from Western countries. This is the traditional thing that happens continuously and is not related to either Syria or Ukraine. It is related to the mechanism of action of America and Western countries regarding the issue of using terrorism as their agent in their wars. It is natural that there are terrorists who were transferred from other regions, including Syria, to fight Russia in Ukraine.
Question: There is a big problem represented in the possibility of the weapons that the West sends in unlimited quantities to Ukraine falling into the hands of international terrorists, including in the Middle East and Syria, and they are many weapons and may even be anti-aircraft. Do you have concerns about the unlimited military support to Ukraine that may reach the Middle East, and do you have assurances about this?
President Al-Assad: We have no fear for a simple reason, because the weapons that will come directly from the West to these terrorist groups are much more than what will be leaked. These weapons will come in any case. The United States is always looking for terrorists in order to recruit them and provide them with all kinds of weapons. But if there is leakage of weapons, it will only be equivalent to a small percentage of what will come directly from the United States to those terrorist groups. This is exactly what previously happened in Syria when France sent the most modern and advanced anti-aircraft missiles at the American behest . All satellites were at the service of terrorists. What does it mean for a few weapons to leak? It means nothing. They are the alternative army to the regular army of the United States, and to the rest of the countries participating in NATO. This is the truth.
Question: This may necessitate expanding military cooperation between Russia and Syria. Was this matter discussed as well? Will this cooperation be expanded by increasing the number of Russian military bases in Syria, for example?
President Al-Assad: Of course, military cooperation was discussed today. There was a meeting between the two defense ministers. We do not usually announce what kind of cooperation we will carry out between us and Russia, because this is a military issue that always has a kind of secrecy. This is a normal thing. As for military bases, that depends on a political and military common vision. Russia’s presence in Syria is of importance linked to the balance of power in the world as a country located on the Mediterranean Sea. Today, the superpowers cannot protect themselves or play their role from within their borders. They must play the role from outside borders, through allies present in the world or through bases. We assume that if there is a Russian desire to expand the bases, or increase their number, and this is a technical or logistical issue, then it is within this framework. We believe that expanding the Russian presence in Syria is a good thing and serves this idea, as it will be if this expansion occurred in other countries. So, we say yes that this is something that may be necessary in the future.
Question: If we talk about hypersonic weapons, do you think that they can be deployed in Syria via Russian ships equipped with Zircon missiles, for example?
President Assad: The difference is in the quality of weapons. The principle is the same. Of course, if you are going to build bases, the goal is not that the bases be weak from a military point of view. In order to have a deterrent or balancing effect, the bases are supposed to be armed with the best weapons. This is the natural and logical thing, whether it is Hypersonic missiles or any other more advanced weapons now and in the future. For sure the principle is the same as I said.
Question: Has the supply of other air defense systems to Syria been discussed, especially since there is an increase in air strikes on Syrian territory now? Will there be S-400s or other shorter-range air defense systems?
President Al-Assad: As I said, there was a meeting today between the two defense ministers, in which they discussed all the military aspects, but we cannot announce what specialized military issues were discussed, especially with regard to the issue of weapons.
Question: Let’s talk about the economic issues that were discussed during your meetings. You already said that the meetings touched on developing economic cooperation. What companies will be able to work in Syria now after expanding this cooperation?
President Al-Assad: Today, the required titles were presented, which are the titles of the projects, which were discussed through the joint committee during the past days. After the agreement is signed, these projects will be announced, and then the willing companies can apply for these projects. This is the dynamic in which this agreement will operate. So, as for the names of the companies, and the estimated value of the projects, the actual value will be known later when the companies apply, and negotiations are held with them about those projects.
Question: You mentioned that the relationship with Turkey is an important issue for you. How does Moscow help Syria and Turkey today to normalize relations between them? Is it possible to hold a meeting between you and President Erdogan?
President Al-Assad: Because of the war and Turkey’s negative role in this war and Turkey’s support for terrorists in Syria, and because part of the Turkish army entered the Syrian territories, it was not possible to have direct communication between us and the Turkish side. For us, Turkey is an occupying country and here lies the Russian role, or here lies the importance of the Russian role, given that they have a relationship with the Turkish side and a good relationship with the Syrian side, and we trust the Russian side. They played the role of mediator to facilitate these contacts, but within the foundations on which the Russian policy is based, namely respect for international law, respect for the sovereignty of states, renunciation of terrorism, the territorial integrity of the Syrian territory, the sovereignty of the Syrian state over its territory, and the exit of illegal foreign forces from Syrian territory within these principles.
For us, anything that can change the course of the war towards ending it with the restoration of all Syrian rights, the occupied territories, and the full sovereignty of the Syrian state, we must strive towards trying it. We may sometimes have little hope that there will be real results but we may not let any opportunity pass by without trying it, because this opportunity may be the solution. This is what Russia is working on in cooperation with Syria, in order to make attempts, in addition to other attempts. As you know, there are dialogues in Geneva, Astana and others, all of which have the same goal, which is restoring stability in Syria.
As for the meeting with President Erdogan, this is related to reaching a stage in which Turkey is ready, clearly and without any ambiguity, to completely exit Syrian territory, stop supporting terrorism and restore the situation to what it was before the start of the war in Syria. This is the only case in which there can be a meeting between me and Erdogan. Apart from that, what is the value of this meeting and why should we do it if it will not achieve final results regarding the war in Syria?
Inas Abdulkareem