GENEVA, (ST)- On the sidelines of the 135th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, Speaker of the Syrian People Assembly Hadiyeh Abbas held talks with heads of the delegations of the Italian, South African and Iranian parliaments.
Abbas’s meeting with Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Italian Senate Pier Ferdinando Casini dealt with the situation in Syria and ways of activating parliamentary cooperation against international terrorism.
The PA speaker said the Syrian state is pressing ahead with fighting terrorism in parallel with achieving national reconciliation countrywide in order to restore security and stability to the country, end the suffering of the Syrians and provide humanitarian assistance to citizens besieged by the terrorists.
On his part, Casini said that from the very beginning Italy stood against the war and it backed the national reconciliation process led by the Syrian government because reconciliation would be a step forward towards political solution.
“Italy rejects the economic siege imposed on Syria,” Casini added, noting that “three days ago, Italy stood against the principle of imposing sanctions at the the European Council.”
President Al-Assad is part of solution in Syria
He pointed out that no one has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, stressing that “President Bashar Al-Assad is part of solution in Syria because he enjoys the support of the majority of the Syrian people.”
Casini called for a return to dialogue among Europe, America, Russia and Syria.
Media war on Syria
The Syrian parliament Speaker’s talks with her South African Counterpart Baleka Mbete dealt with regional developments and means of reactivating parliamentary relations between the two countries.
Abbas clarified that the Terrorist war facing Syria has been backed by a heinous anti-Syria media war in which millions of US dollars were spent to hide the truth and fabricate reports to distort the reputation of the Syrian state and its army.
Mbete, on her part, hailed the steadfastness of the Syrian people in the face of the ongoing war, stressing that South Africa backs this steadfastness and knows well that the media has played a big role in distorting the realty of events in Syria.
She said she was confident that the Syrian people will triumph over terrorism as the people of South Africa did after a long struggle.
Mbete asserted the importance of boosting parliamentary cooperation between the Syrian People’s Assembly and the National Assembly of South Africa, noting that a program for exchanging visits between the two sides will be put soon.
Syria, Iran are in the same battle against terrorism, extremism and colonialism
Abbas also met the Iranian delegation led by Mostafa Kavakebian, the reformist politician and representative of Tehran in Iranian Parliament, and discussed with him bilateral ties, regional developments and ways to solidify the two countries’ joint stance on current issues.
Abbas hailed the historic relations between Syria and Iran and thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran for supporting Syria in the confrontation of the terrorist war, stressing that the two countries are in the same battle against terrorism, extremism and colonialism.
On his part, Kavakebian stressed Iran’s firm support for the Syrian state and people in the confrontation of the terrorist war and the unjust economic sanctions .
The Iranian MP criticized the stances of some western and Arab countries which claim keenness on defending the Syrian people while they are actually supporting and arming terrorists to destroy the Syrian state and to kill and displace its people.
Hamda Mustafa