The opinions of millions of Syrians who cast their ballots in the presidential vote cannot be ignored, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
"According to reports from Syria, observers note that the elections were held in a fair, free and transparent atmosphere despite tough security circumstances in this country," said the spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Lukashevich.
"Russian observers have made a clear conclusion. We have no grounds to put into question the legitimacy of the elections,” he added.
The Foreign Ministry's spokesman criticized the "disappointing" Western response to the election results, describing it as "shallow and politicized."
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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