Al-Miqdad: The wide participation of Syrians abroad in the presidential elections is a message to the world that they are with their homeland

Damascus (ST): Foreign and Expatriates Minister Dr. Faisal Al-Miqdad, has affirmed that Syria has been keen throughout the years of the crisis to ensure that the constitutional entitlements are held on time, pointing out that the wide participation of Syrians residing abroad in the presidential elections that took place last Thursday proves to the whole world that they are with their homeland and that they are more attached to it now.

In an interview with Al-Mayadin TV  last night Al-Miqdad explained that the enemies of Syria were betting on the commitment of the Syrian people to their homeland and on not holding the elections, but the large influx of Syrians living abroad to their country’s embassies in various capitals confirmed that the Syrians are now more attached to their homeland and the goals that Syria has set for itself for years long, especially the Palestinian issue and the issue of liberating the occupied Arab lands, stressing that when the Syrians go to polling stations in all governorates next Wednesday, they will prove their commitment to their homeland, reconstruction and combating terrorism, and that they are on the side of their army until the final victory is achieved.

Al-Miqdad condemned the assaults on Syrian voters in Lebanon, expressing hope that the Lebanese state would play its legal role with regard to the assault on them, noting that had it not been for the brutal attacks committed against them, the process of casting their votes would have continued for two, three and four days if the Supreme Judicial Committee permitted.

The Minister expressed Syria’s welcome to all its sons and daughters, whom these aggressors prevented from exercising their right in Lebanon to go to their country, Syria, to exercise this right, pointing to the Syrian state’s keenness to fulfill the message they carried in their hearts and minds to prove to the whole world that they are free and that they are right.

Al-Miqdad indicated  that the countries that have fought Syria over the past ten years did not want the elections to take place on time and tried to dissuade the Syrians from exercising their patriotic duty. Hours ago, in Beirut, Germany, France, Sweden and all capitals of the world hundreds of thousands of Syrians took to the streets  to say that they are with their country and their homeland, and to confirm participation in this constitutional entitlement.

Al-Miqdad explained that the targeting of Syria during the years of the terrorist war was due to its refusal to obey the American orders, the “Israeli will” and the minor rulers in some Western European countries, and these are the reasons that led to all the destruction and external support we saw for terrorist groups.

Regarding the restoration of normal relations between Arab countries, Al-Miqdad said:” Syria welcomes any initiative in this field and is with any effort exerted to achieve this. We must stand alongside each other and cooperate to the maximum within the framework of developing Arab-Arab relations . There is a real will among the masses of the Arab people in all Arab countries to rally around Syria and the Palestinian cause in order to restore the minimum level of Arab solidarity. Joint Arab action cannot be complete and effective without the presence of Syria, and I assure you that most Arab countries support the presence of Syria in the Arab League.”

On the decision of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons against Syria last month, Al-Miqdad explained that the United States exerted great pressure on the members of the organization, and yet only 87 out of 193 countries voted in favor of the decision, meaning less than half of the member states, pointing out that the OPCW is a technical organization that does not deal with matters in it by voting like the General Assembly of the United Nations, but in the framework of consensuses between countries.

Al-Miqdad indicated that the escalation in the OPCW took place at this time mainly with the aim of harming the presidential elections and to prevent any return by Arab countries to Syria and from Syria to its Arab surroundings.

K.Q.