The Special Envoy of the Russian President to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, stressed that despite the situation in Ukraine and the interest of the Russian leadership in the special military operation, the Russian leadership pays special attention to the development of future relations with Syria and is making great efforts in many directions. He revealed that the Russian leadership is currently looking at ways to strengthen cooperation with Syria and will see new successes in bilateral cooperation, especially in the extraction and processing of oil supplies.
In a private interview with Al-Watan, Lavrentiev explained that work is currently underway to find new ways to solve problems in Syria, including difficulties in the energy field, and to provide assistance in developing oil and gas fields.
The Russian Special Envoy pointed out that Turkey has not fully implemented its obligations in the agreements it signed in Moscow in March 2020. He stressed that the fight against terrorism and the fight against radical terrorist groups would continue, not only in Idleb but also in other areas and in cooperation with the brave Syrian Arab Army.
Lavrentiev pointed out that Turkish attempts to transform the terrorist organization Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is part of al-Qaeda, into a so-called moderate opposition. This is done despite the United Nations resolution that considers this organization terrorist by the terrorist nature of this organization. He pointed out that Turkey enjoys the support of some Western countries to proceed with these attempts, considering that this policy, which is currently being applied in Idleb “de-escalation zone” and some other areas currently controlled by Turkey, is aimed at removing the possibility of the Syrian government imposing its sovereignty over these areas and the possibility of reaching solutions to restore the sovereignty of the Syrian state over all its territory. He added in this context: We are sure that the restoration of Syria’s sovereignty over all its territory will certainly take place, but of course, this requires time.
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Regarding the ongoing security negotiations between Syria and Turkey, Lavrentiev considered that any kind of dialogue is better than silence. Any kind of communication helps to find points of convergence of positions and perhaps points to solve some existing problems. He pointed out that restoring Syrian-Turkish relations to their normal level requires good intentions from the Turkish leadership, which includes, above all, Turkey’s refusal to support armed terrorist groups.
Lavrentiev stressed that his country has always opposed Israel’s aggressions against Syrian territory. He considered that these attacks represent an unparalleled violation of international law. Russia warned of the seriousness of the repercussions of these attacks, which may lead to an escalation of the situation in the entire Middle East region, pointing out that Syrian territory cannot be turned into an arena for settling scores between various regional and global countries.
Lavrentiev pointed out that the Syrian and Russian governments fully support the work of Geir Pedersen in the constitutional track. The image being promoted that Syria and Russia are obstructing the course of the Constitutional Committee is incorrect, and the place where the sessions of the Constitutional Committee are held, this issue is not technical but a matter of principle referred to by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Tehran summit.
Lavrentiev stressed that the Astana track could not be a substitute for the Syrian-Syrian dialogue within the framework of the Constitutional Committee, adding: “As for the Astana process, we continue to provide support for the development of the existing dialogue. Efforts in this direction will continue and in accordance with the instructions of our presidents, and we look forward to holding the next meeting of Astana before the end of 2022.”
Lavrentiev revealed that there is a good development in the Syrian-Egyptian dialogue and some positive developments in Syrian-Saudi relations as well. There are prospects for this dialogue to reach a higher level, pointing out that the Arab countries are under severe pressure from the United States, which warns them not to provide any kind of economic support to Syria.
Regarding the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, Lavrentiev considered that what is happening is not a war between the Russian and Ukrainian people but a special operation, and unfortunately, Washington is using the Ukrainian people as a tool to exert military pressure on Russia. He stressed that all the objectives put forward by the Russian president for the military operation would be fully implemented, and the failed Western attempts to inject Ukraine with various types of weapons will not lead to any result.
Lavrentiev considered that there is great convergence between what is happening in Ukraine and what is happening in Syria, Syria has been subjected to aggression from the terrorist alliance, and Russia is watching the public signs of global terrorism. He said: There are a lot of similarities and rapprochement between our two countries, we in Russia and Syria are on the front line in the fight against terrorism.
Lavrentiev described the level of cooperation between the Syrian and Russian defence ministries as very good. He noted that the main task of Russian military advisers is to strengthen the capabilities of the Syrian Arab Army to combat existing dangers, and during joint exercises and exercises, the Russians try to share their knowledge and experiences with Syrian friends.
He added: “The Syrian Arab Army has always been strong and capable and one of the strongest armies in the Middle East. We are doing everything we can to restore the Syrian Arab Army to what it was before this war.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
