Speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Laham on Thursday headed the last session of the first legislative term of the Syrian parliament, which was attended by Prime Minister Wael al-Halki and a number of other ministers.
Parliamentary elections for the second legislative term of the People’s Assembly are scheduled to be held on April 13, 2016.
“Syria will remain the homeland for all its citizens as it has always been over 7,000 years,” said Laham, stressing that Syria, throughout history, has never accepted division and will remain a united country where all its people live in freedom and dignity.
In turn, Premier Halki reiterated that Syria will maintain its unity, territorial integrity and identity and will continue to reject all forms of hegemony, guardianship or partitioning.
He added that no matter how the US and its allies try to exploit the Kurdish issue, they will not succeed “as there is no chance for federalizing or dividing Syria,” affirming that the Kurds are an integral part of the Syrian social fabric.
The PM said a national program to move towards post-crisis Syria is being launched that will employ national cadres to prepare for the reconstruction process according to certain capabilities and priorities.
He explained that the plans include establishing new urban areas in replacement of unregulated housing areas and terrorism-affected areas, in addition to completing already standing projects with the help of friendly countries.
Halki noted that projects related to energy and electricity and other vital fields will be carried out in cooperation with Indian, Russian, Iranian and other companies.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
