Stepashin: Syria Fighting International Terrorism on its Land

MOSCOW- The crisis in Syria developed to be a conflict between foreign-backed extremists who use the banner of Islam to commit terrorist crimes on the one hand and open-minded parties represented by Syria and its friends on the other, stressed Sergei Stepashin, Head of Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society in Russia.

In a press conference on Monday in Moscow, Stepashin said Syria was fighting international terrorism on its land, warning that prolonging the crisis in Syria would threaten the unity of the region’s countries.

He referred to foreign attempts aiming to hinder the exit of chemical weapons from Syria to give the Americans a pretext to accuse the Syrian government of not working to eliminate its chemical weapon. He clarified that forces opposing Russia’s stances towards Syria are waging a fierce media war in this respect and Moscow plus its allies are trying to confront this war.

“The anti-Russia media incited the Ukrainian people against Russia within three weeks, how then the situation would be within three years of media war against Syria,” Stepashin asked.

On Turkey’s policy on Syria, Stepashin said the support of Recepe Tayyib Erdogan’s government for terrorists in Syria seriously endangers the unity of the Middle East countries. He urged Russia to pressure the Turkish government to stop supporting terrorism in Syria, pointing out that many Armenian and Syrian families have been displaced from their houses in Kasab of Lattakia countryside because of Turkish-backed terrorist attacks.

Stepashin asserted that establishing a branch for Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society in Syria aimed at raising funds to provide assistance to the Syrians affected by the more than three years old terrorist war on the country.

He pointed out that his recent meetings with Syrian officials in Damascus dealt with economic cooperation and the possibilities of carrying out vital projects in Syria.

Stepashin, who hailed the Syrians’ confidence in defeating terrorism, said the Syrian government and people have launched the reconstruction process, stressing that the foreign-sponsored terrorism had destroyed the country’s economy and caused many social problems.

He urged Western officials to visit Syria to have a close look at the situation and to talk to the Syrian officials on the reality of events, describing the Western stance on what is going on in Syria as incorrect and unjust.

H. Mustafa