Syrian Government Ready to Talk with ALL Opposition Parties
MOSCOW (ST)_ Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Walid al-Moallem, announced here Monday that he was mandated by H.E. President Bashar Al-Assad to convey thanks to the Russian People, President Vladimir Putin, Minister Sergei Lavrov, for their principled stance in respect to the UN Charter and international Law rules, which forebode foreign intervention, especially the military one in the Syrian affairs.
al-Moallem cited President Bashar Al-Assad’s January 6th political program for the solving of the crisis in Syria, pointing out that an ad hoc ministerial committee chaired by the Prime Minister was consequently created and started consultations with most of opposition forces in Syria opening the way for opposition outside Syria, and with guarantees for them if they attended.
“We will be happy when others get closer to the Russian stance , because this stance is the one which would lead to the halting of violence in Syria,” said al-Moallem.
The Syrian government is ready to talk with all opposition parties, including armed rebels, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem stated during talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, a Voice of Russia reporter said.
“We still believe that reforms in Syria can be reached through dialogue alone,” said Minister al-Moallem.
The Minister added that militants from al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat-al Nusra are mainly responsible for the bloodshed. The militants comprise mercenaries from 28 countries, including Russia’s Chechnya.
al-Moallem added that representatives of illegal armed groups from 28 countries are fighting on the side of the Syrian opposition.
“Jabhad an-Nusra, a branch of al-Qaeda, is the main force fighting in Syria. They have invited to Syria militants from 28 countries, including Chechnya,” al-Moallem said before meeting with his Russian counterpart Lavrov.
Ahead of talks with his Russian counterpart in Moscow, al-Moallem said: “We are ready for dialogue with everyone who wants it … even those who have weapons in their hands”.
“Even with those who carry arms. We are confident that reforms will come about not with the help of bloodshed but through dialogue,” added al-Moallem.
“What’s happening in Syria is a war against terrorism. We will strongly adhere to a peaceful course and continue to fight against terrorism.”
On his part, Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov pledged every support to ensure dialogue between the warring parties.
Lavrov said the conflict could only be resolved through political talks, asserting that further fighting “risks the collapse of the state and society”.
“We are following the development of events … with alarm,” Lavrov said. “In our evaluation the situation is at a kind of crossroads. There are those who have set a course for further bloodshed and an escalation of conflict. This is fraught with the risk of the collapse of the Syrian state and society” Minister Lavrov underlined.
“But there are also reasonable forces that increasingly acutely understand the need for the swiftest possible start of talks … In these conditions the need for the Syrian leadership to continue to consistently advocate the start of dialogue, and not allow provocations to prevail, is strongly increasing” added Lavrov.
Lavrov said that “those who would like to see this war last till the bitter end” are sabotaging the Syrian government’s efforts to establish contact with the Syrian opposition, which “is increasing the need for Syrian authorities to keep supporting their intentions to start a dialogue.”
Lavrov also insisted that Russia’s stance in the Syrian conflict “is not determined by the support of certain people” but by Russia’s “care for the future of the Syrian people.”
M..A.A.