Al-Miqdad: Syrian-Russian coordination is strategic
DAMASCUS, Feb.23, (ST)-The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal Al-Miqdad has affirmed that the war that Syria and Russia is waging for stability and security will continue , indicating that the Syrian and Russian stances towards the Ukrainian crisis are identical.
The minister’s remarks came during his interview with the Syrian and Al-Ikhbaria TV channels on Wednesday.
He declared that the Syrian-Russian coordination is strategic and continuous and its results will appear at different fields.
The minister said: ““My recent visit to Moscow was with the aim of strengthening the strategic relations between the two countries, and these relations are constantly developing because each country believes in the correctness of the other country’s positions and because it has been proven that their policies help improve the situation in the region and the world.”
He clarified that the aim of the recent visit made by the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Syria was to send a message to the whole world that Russia and Syria are strong, and that the battle that the two countries are waging for security and stability all over the world is one. Therefore, there were air maneuvers conducted by the Russian Air Force with the latest aircraft in order to tell everyone who tries to insult Russia and Syria that we are together in one battle in order to ensure security and stability in the Middle East and Europe.
Moreover, the minister underlined that NATO has not implemented its pledges related to not expand to the east, and its practices threaten the Russian national security, pointing out that what the West is currently doing against Russia in terms of hostile practices and campaigns aimed at offending it similar to what it did against Syria during the terrorist war.
He reiterated that Syria supports Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk republics from Ukraine.
US presence in northeastern Syria is an occupation
Al-Miqdad reiterated that the US existence in northeast Syria is illegitimate and the US forces have to go out of the Syrian territories. “The US still holds thousands of displaced people at al-Rukban camp and it prevents them from returning to their homes, villages and towns.”
“The US presence in northeastern Syria is an occupation in every sense of the word, and the international law and the Charter of the United Nations unambiguously show that because this presence was not made at the request of the country, and therefore the American occupation forces must leave the Syrian territories.”
He added that the main objective of the US presence in Syria is to protect terrorist organizations in the al-Tanf region and separatist militias in the Syrian Jazeera region, indicating that Washington continues to invest in terrorism by transferring its terrorists from Syria to other regions in the world to implement its political agendas, as it has transferred hundreds of terrorists to Afghanistan and other countries, and there are now talks about transferring many of these terrorists to a number of African countries.
Turkish regime continues to support terrorist organizations in Syria
Al-Miqdad stressed that the Turkish regime continues to support terrorist organizations in Syria in flagrant violation of the Astana understandings, and everyone has recently heard the US announcement that it had killed the second leader of “ISIS” terrorist organization on the lands occupied by the Turkish regime, after it had killed the first leader a few meters away from the place where it killed the second leader, pointing out that the false Western media ignored that the terrorists were killed on lands occupied by the Turkish regime.
“The United States does want a political solution to the crisis in Syria and the west works on hindering reconstruction process in Syria and continues imposing blockade on it,” the minister stated.
He in addition stressed that the talks about swaps is western attempt to discredit Syrian-Russian relations. “Syria is a sovereign country and it can’t be in any swap or bargain.”
There are now 14 Arab embassies in Damascus
Al-Miqdad went on to say: “we are keen on boosting relations with Arab countries and we hope the Arab joint action would return in the interest of the Arab people.”
“There are now 14 Arab embassies in Damascus, and we call for Arab unity in order to overcome the current situation. The only solution to all of us is to return to Arab solidarity in order to stand by each other in a fateful battle in which the future of the world will be determined,” he concluded.
Basma Qaddour