French President Macron must convince Moscow of the benefits of a political solution if Paris hopes to have any luck in settling the Syrian crisis, Michel Abu Najm writes for Saudi-owned newspaper
Zaman al-Wasl chronicles Doha’s commitment to the Syrian revolution and its opposition against the government of Bashar al-Assad since 2011
Syria is witnessing a recovery thanks to the withdrawal of Wahhabi terrorist groups including ISIS and the Nusra Front, president tells Indian media
We should be wary of placing too much hope on the outcome of the most recent Astana talks, as the three previous rounds in the Kazakh capital produced little results, Walid al-Bunni writes
Naim Ibrahim questions the reason behind Qatar’s funding of fighters in Syria and its calls for the departure of Assad, asking: would Doha give up power if the shoe was on the other foot?
Munzer Eid laments the decision by the U.S. president to include Saudi Arabia among the destinations for his first foreign trip, in piece for loyalist newspaper Al-Thawra
Serving as a battleground for countless foreign and ideological belligerents, the greatest danger facing Syria is the fragmentation and polarization of its society, Walid al-Bunni writes
Assad’s top political and media advisor speaks to Lebanese television, framing the U.S. strike in the scope of CIA efforts to punish Damascus, claiming that the attack on the base came in the wake of victories by government forces against terror groups, state media reports
Opposition members and activists decry the forced relocation of thousands of civilians from the “four Syrian towns” as part of a negotiation deal to release kidnapped Qatari businessmen, Paula Istih writes for Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat
It will be up to the armies of Syria, Iraq and Russia to defend the interests of their people by preventing the breakup of Middle Eastern geography for benefit of Western energy interests, Ali Hashem writes for pro-regime Al-Watan
Political representatives in south Damascus voice their rejection of an agreement between rebels and Iran which will see the exchange of fighters and their families from areas surrounding the capital and Idleb, opposition outlet All4Syria reports
President Bashar al-Assad gave an interview to Croatian newspaper Vecernji List published Thursday, in which he reflects on six years of conflict, the negotiation process and the fight against terrorism. The following is the full text as published by government news agency SANA
Following a terrorist attack that struck Damascus city, the Syrian government calls on the U.N. to issue a statement of condemnation and urge certain states to stop sponsoring terrorism
Libyan delegation to Syria meets with the parliament speaker, while government officials announce their support for the Syrian government and its people, who, like Libyans, are fighting foreign plots and terrorism
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad denied Amnesty reports on mass killing in a Syrian prison and said President Donald Trump’s ban on Syrians targeted terrorists, not the Syrian people. Below is the full interview he gave to French TF1 TV and EUROPE 1 Radio as appeared in SANA, the Syrian news agency
President Assad told Belgian media that statements made by Trump are promising regarding the priority of fighting terrorists, and mainly ISIS. Below is the full text as appeared on SANA:
Syrian government’s head negotiator speaks to the press about the success of the talks in Kazakhstan’s capital, lauding the efforts of allies Russia and Iran in reaching an agreement to form a ceasefire monitor
Government news agency SANA publishes transcript of Syrian president’s interview with Japanese journalist regarding the state of the current ceasefire, this week’s peace talks in Kazakhstan, and what is likely to come from a Trump presidency
Alsouria Net speaks to insider at recent meetings between Turkish representatives and the Syrian armed opposition, in which most major rebel groups — except Ahrar al-Sham — agreed to attend the negotiations with the Assad regime in Astana next week
In statements to Lebanese television, Syria’s deputy FM takes jab at Doha and Riyadh for their backing of terror groups in Syria, denying them space at the negotiating table unless support to armed groups is stopped
