Monday, 23 March 2015

Assad Pledges to Push for Second Round of Syria Talks in Moscow

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stressed on Sunday that Syria is keen to keep working to push forward Russia’s efforts for holding a second round of inter-Syrian talks in Moscow.

The Russian capital hosted on January 26-29 a round of talks that brought together representatives of the Syrian government and opposition figures and parties.

The continued Russian efforts were discussed in a meeting between Assad and Russia’s Special Envoy Azmatullah Kolmohammadov and the accompanying delegation, where the need to continue coordination and consultation between Moscow and Damascus to make this efforts a success was highlighted.

The most important step towards achieving that end, Assad said, is to agree on an agenda that specifies the working method, the principles on which dialogue should be based and the mechanisms that guarantee reaching the aims of the dialogue.

Assad stressed that the government and people of Syria trust the Russian leadership and believe in its relentless efforts to find a solution in the country.

He, however, referred to the impediments put in the path of reaching such a solution by some regional and western countries, noting that chief among those obstructions is having those countries continuing their support, in all forms, to the terrorist organizations.

The Russian Envoy held the Syrian government’s openness to the political initiatives in Syria in high regard, hailing the steps which the government has taken to help these initiatives succeed, including the local reconciliations it has achieved.

This, Kolmohammadov said, asserts that the Syrian leadership is indeed keen to stop the bloodshed in the country in all possible means.

The talks during the meeting also stressed that bringing any political process in Syria to fruition is contingent on action on the international level to pressure the countries that reject a solution and are backing the terrorist organizations in order to deter them from continuing this course of theirs.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem, Presidential Political and Media Advisor Bouthaina Shaaban, Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mikdad and Advisor to Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnous.