US Presence in Syria Prolonged Crisis: Dr. Shaaban

Presidential Political and Media Adviser Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban said that the Turkish aggression on Syria and the illegitimate US presence in it violate international law and impede the political solution and victory over terrorism.

Speaking at Valdai Discussion Club on Monday, Shaaban said, according to SANA, that the Turkish regime has helped terrorists to enter Syria, and when it realized that the terrorists have failed, it violated international laws and started to interfere in northern Syria.

She stressed that the Turkish regime continues to breach the cessation of hostilities agreement in a way that makes the cooperation among the guarantor states of the agreement difficult, affirming that the UN should condemn the Turkish occupation of Syrian territories.

The Adviser praised the roles of Iran and Russia and their efforts for resolving the crisis in Syria, saying that the world will be grateful to them after the victory over terrorism and guaranteeing a safe and secure future, adding that what Iran and Russia are doing is different from what is done by the US and European countries that seek to control Syria to maintain their interests in the region and protect the Israeli occupation entity.

She said that the US presence in Syria and the US-European intervention attempts prolonged the crisis, and that the US aggression on Syria is continuing through the Washington-backed mercenaries, but this will end because Syria belongs to the Syrians and only the Syrians.

In statements to journalists on the sideline of the event, Shaaban said that the illegitimate US presence in Syria provides cover for the remaining terrorists which Syria had been fighting for years, and that the Turkish regime attacks Syrian territory and uses terrorists as pawns.

“Meanwhile, the Russian, Syrian, and Iranian diplomacy builds upon these facts and attempts to reach a political solution for the crisis, but the Turkish and US aggression prevent reaching such a solution, and perhaps that is one of the goals of the aggression,” she added.

 On the next steps following the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, the Adviser said that the Syrian state is still pursuing two tracks: the first is fighting the remaining pockets of terrorism on the ground to which the Turkish regime and Washington provide cover, while the second is the diplomatic and political track, in which Syria is cooperating and exchanging opinions with Russia about all the possible steps to stop bloodshed and lead to a political solution for the crisis.

As for the repeated US attacks on Syria, Shaaban said “we will not allow any aggressor to stay in our territory, and shooting down the Israeli plane is one of the ways to deal with such aggression.”

“On the one hand, this conference is dedicated to the Middle East, but on the other hand, it is about our view on Russia’s role in the region,” said Science Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at Russia’s Academy of Science Vitaly Naumkin, who is one of the conference organizers.

He went on to say, according to TASS,  that Russia’s policy regarding the Middle East was “indeed accurate.” “Given our vast mediating experience, activities in conflict zones and cooperation with societies consisting of conflicting groups, we know how to maintain relations with Israel, Iran, Turkey, the Kurds, Sunnis and Shias,” the expert noted.

Participants and goals

Apart from Lavrov, Zarif and Shaaban, United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy and other politicians and experts will also take part in the conference.

Participants will particularly discuss issues concerning the post-war reconstruction of Syria, the prospects for resolving the Palestine-Israel conflict, the Yemen crisis and the Kurdish issue, ways to provide assistance to Libya, as well as the possibilities for easing tensions in relations between Iran and its neighbors.

Andrey Bystritsky, the chairman of the board of the Valdai Discussion Club’s Development and Support Foundation, told TASS that the agenda was aimed at covering as many issues facing this “complicated and interesting” region as possible. “We expect that this mosaic agenda will prove valuable and substantial precisely because it is mosaic,” he said.

Bystritsky was also hopeful that “people who are dealing with practical issues will take the outcome of the discussion into consideration.” “The conference will involve representatives of the leading countries of the region. In this particular case, there are no boundaries between intellectual knowledge and practical behavior. It does not mean that the issues under discussion will be resolved immediately but we know for sure that the debate will be taken into account while making decisions,” the expert added.

M.A.