Information Minister: Any solution for ending war on Syria must respect sovereignty and public will

 Damascus – Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi stressed that any solution for ending the war on Syria must be based on respecting national sovereignty and the public will.

In an interview given to the Syrian TV on Saturday and reported by SANA, al-Zoubi said “we will not permit the thwarting of the intra-Syrian dialogue in Geneva” and that hiding behind slogans and rhetoric and attempting to impose preconditions for dialogue are unacceptable, adding “if the Riyadh opposition delegation wants to maneuver and thwart the dialogue, then they will be held responsible for that.”

The Minister said that the seriousness of the Riyadh opposition delegation in moving towards a political process is very questionable, because the Saudi is part of the problem and in the war on Syria, and therefore can’t be part of the solution, adding that when the aforementioned delegation breaks free of Saudi control, then it will be possible to listen to it.

The Minister made it clear that the delegation of “Riyadh opposition” could be listened to when it is free from affiliation to Saudi Arabia, but this possibility is ruled out partially due to the issue of financing and issues related to the Wahhabist ideology as many of the delegation members are involved in issues related to terrorists’ training, weaponizing and funding as well as crimes that have been committed in Syria, the orders of which were issued from the Saudi regime and perpetrated by persons available in the delegation.

“We insist on ending the war in Syria, and this is a political and practical goal that we pursue on the ground by continuing to fight terrorism and expanding national reconciliations,” he said.

Al-Zoubi added that it should be understood clearly that if we do not have commonalities in discussion, we will not advance forwards, pointing out that these commonalities revolve around the importance that everybody acknowledges of the basic concepts such as Syria’s sovereignty, the territorial integrity, the national unity and the non-interference in Syria’s internal affairs.

The Information Minister stressed the importance of the popular will because without it the dialogue would be meaningless.

“Talks on direct and indirect negotiations are related to the need for that, so when there is a necessity to be direct, that will happen in view of a political atmosphere and an advance achieved in dialogue,” al-Zoubi said, pointing out that this issue is premature.

The Minister said that the delegation of “Riyadh opposition” includes terrorists who have not engaged in the cessation of hostilities agreement and they need outlets because they have put themselves in a questioning position and a popular trial, on which there are millions of proofs.

On the UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura’s talks on going back to the UN Security Council if the dialogue failed, al-Zoubi said that “We support de Mistura’s efforts deeply as long as he is committed to the international resolution 2254 and that his role as a facilitator and supporter of the Syrians to put agenda for it to be discussed.

Regarding the declaration of the so-called “federal region in northern Syria,” al-Zoubi said that such a declaration has no legal impact neither in Syrian laws nor international laws and violates international legitimacy, stressing that it doesn’t represent the will of Syrian Kurds and that any decision that isn’t based on popular will and that undermines Syrian unity is null and void.

“Syrian Kurds are part of Syria’s national social fabric, and we will continue to view them as such as an expression of our identity and national unity,” he added.

The Minister also said that reduction of Russian forces in Syria came after full coordination between the two countries’ leadership following the shift in the situation on the ground in terms of the huge losses inflicted upon ISIS and al-Nusra, asserting that Syrian-Russian relations are solid and based on equality, mutual respect, and common interests.

“When the United States moves with the Russian will to find a political solution for the crisis in Syria and after it becomes convinced to not interfere in Syrian internal affairs, pressures its allies to stop supporting terrorism, affirms Syria’s sovereignty, and responds to the will of its people, then we will say that the war on Syria will end,” he said.

On the upcoming legislative elections, al-Zoubi pointed out that holding the elections is a constitutional issue, which stipulates for the details and date of holding the process.