Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia's position on the crisis in Syria is grounded on the basic principles of the international law, reason and the logic of peace.
In an annual message addressed to the Russian Parliament on the 20th anniversary of the Russian constitution, Putin noted that Russia has been able through cooperation with its partners to keep war away from Syria and take things in the direction of seeking a peaceful solution to the crisis.
He said there have been attempts over the past years to impose the so-called "most advanced model of development" on various countries in the Middle East and North Africa, adding that this "tragic" situation has not been formed in Syria.
"In Syria, we were in front of a fateful choice to either use force or take collective decisions," Putin said, adding that Russia has decided to take "rational choices that every responsible state should take" instead of interference in the countries internal affairs.
He stressed that Moscow, by warding off military intervention in Syria, has not prejudiced its interests or world peace, but rather has so far been able to avoid foreign military intervention in the Syrian affairs and the spread of conflict outside the region.
Putin highlighted that solving the crisis in Syria and the Iranian nuclear file should not resort to the use of force as this does not help in solving the international issues.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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