Al-Halqi: Terrorism Fighting Occupies Government’s Top Priorities
DAMASCUS, (ST)- Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi has stressed that fighting terrorism wherever it is on the Syrian land is the government’s top priority as to provide secure and stable environment to protect citizens and help displaced families return to their houses and resume economic activities.
Al-Halqi was speaking yesterday during the last meeting of the People’s Assembly’s 8th Ordinary Session of the first legislative term dedicated to discuss the government’s performance and procedures to face the humanitarian and economic repercussions of the ongoing crisis.
The premier stressed that the government will press ahead with national reconciliation efforts all over the country in cooperation with the People’s Assembly and civil society associations in order to start a new political process and improve the social situation in general through meeting the needs of relief work and help humanitarian aid have access to all Syrian areas.
“Focus will continue to be made on providing basic needs of citizens and improving their living conditions despite the tightened economic sanctions and lack of resources,” al-Halqi added, pointing out that enhancing the program of supporting national exports, enabling competitive Syrian products to enter foreign markets, providing support to small and medium-sized enterprises, meeting production needs and achieving food security are also issues to be focused on in the coming era.
He asserted the government’s plan to boost administrative reforms, fight corruption, announce a package of laws and decisions in this respect and accelerate the preparations for the reconstruction process in areas regained by the Syria Army.
The government will be keen on strengthening the role of civil society and non government organizations in the country, on supporting cultural invention movement as to fight takfiri mentality and disseminate the culture of national reconciliation and dialogue, on consolidating the protection of cultural heritage and on developing national media, the premier clarified.
He went on to say “the government, under the directives of President Bashar Al-Assad, will keep working to deepen political and economic cooperation with Syria’s friendly countries, particularly Iran, Russia, China and the rest of BRICS states.”
On political settlement in the country, al-Halqi said “Syria has positively dealt with international initiatives like that of the UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura in accordance with international conventions and Security Council resolutions Nos. 2170 and 2178. It has also showed positive response to the Russian initiative which aimed to hold a consultative meeting between Syrian government and national opposition parties in Moscow within efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria away from foreign intervention.”
At the beginning of the session, the PA Speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Lahham urged collective work to confront the challenges and danger facing the country and to help the Syrians nationwide withstand the horrible economic and social impacts of the foreign-backed terrorist war waged on Syria.
He said that thanks to the steadfastness of the Syrian people, the sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army and the unity between the people, leadership and army, Syria has been able to confront and defeat terrorism and its supporters.
Al-Lahham pointed out that the Syrian state has adopted national reconciliation and dialogue among the Syrians without foreign intervention to find a way out of the crisis in the country, urging the expansion of national reconciliation as to restore national cohesion among the Syrians regardless their political orientations.
Hamda Mustafa