Assad has given a lengthy interview to Hezbollah’s channel al-Manar. Below is the interview as translated and published by SANA, the Syrian official news agency
Rebels accuse Assad regime of using Egyptian military equipment against opposition fighters as Damascus denounces Turkey for “supporting terrorist groups”
No one has expected or demanded that every party should drop their weapons and forgo their means of pressure
“We open our hands to every Arab initiative. We say hello to those who knock on our door as we seek to stop the bloodshed,” Syria’s foreign minister tells Egyptian press
Syria’s information minister dismisses rumors of a so-called Saudi-Syrian meeting regarding bilateral security and political issues
Moscow has been able to engineer a new language for the Security Council regarding Syrian affairs, and it has succeeded – largely because the United States has allowed it to succeed
SNC rejects Russian initiative to form new international coalition, that includes the Syrian army and President Bashar al-Assad, to confront terrorism and ISIS, says Khoja
“Many observers believe that the shifts we are now witnessing will not be like what preceded them, and we may see a significant result if the ongoing negotiations between the active regional and international players goes well”
The British foreign secretary tells Asharq Al-Awsat his country’s military presence in the Gulf should be seen as part of a permanent commitment to the region’s security
De Mistura believes that in the Geneva 3 meeting, Iranian backing, representation of the opposition by more than just the coalition, and a Russian-American understanding will eliminate the reasons for the failure of Geneva 2
In return for the lifting of economic sanctions and a return of frozen assets, Iran must give up all of its nuclear ambitions after wasting trillions of the Iranian people’s money on these fantasies
Middle Eastern, North African, Asian and European figures will attend the two-day event in Syria’s capital later this week
Coalition’s aerial campaign not coordinated with the Syrian government and has deviated from its stated goals of fighting terrorism, says prime minister
Delegation meets with representatives from the Czech Republic to discuss the lifting of EU sanctions on Syria
Assad’s influence in Syria has increased today more than ever. All those fighting terrorism support him, and stand with him. The whole world supports Assad, after Obama wiped away the red lines. All Arab rulers support him because their survival is related to his.
Fighters attended 30-day training program in Turkey run by US and Gulf states, according to captured fighters
Speaking to Russian TV, Syria’s foreign minister says President Putin’s proposal for a regional counterterrorism alliance is a “miracle”
Some countries in the Security Council deal with human rights principles as “a pressing tool to liquidate their political accounts”, says Syria’s representative to the UN
Russian president suggests building a regional force to combat terrorism during talks with Syria’s foreign minister in Moscow
Coordination between governments of Tunisia, Kuwait, and Syria is key to combatting terrorist organizations, foreign minister tells state TV
