Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA-Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi asserted on Tuesday that “Syria does not consider US actions in Syria and Iraq productive, and the US air missions in Syrian air space are not coordinated with the Syrian side and completely deviate from the framework of the fight against terrorism.”
“The Syrian army is fighting on the front and plays the decisive role, while the actions of the coalition led by the United States have nothing to do with the fight against terrorism”, al-Halaqi said in an interview with Russia’s Sputnik news agency.
According to al-Halaqi, Syria needs the suspension of the terrorist groups’ funding and the cessation of smuggling combatants into the country, that are supported by such countries as Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
The Premier said that at present, the Syrian government does not sense any real cooperation in terms of suspending funding and providing military and logistical support to terrorists, adding “However, it is evident that Washington is interested in the counterterrorism efforts only for its own purposes that consist of dividing the region and local communities and suppressing opposing forces,” al-Halaqi outlined.
“We are grateful for the Russian president’s support, but the problem is that today we don’t see that Turkey or Saudi Arabia are prepared to change their stance and begin a common fight against terrorism. In reality we see that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, and Israel continue to help armed groups that are active in Syria. So how can we say now that these countries will form a joint union with Syria in the fight against terrorism?” al-Halaqi said.
He added that he supports Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initiative to create a coalition between Syria and its neighbors in the fight against terrorism “if it satisfies the interests of all the countries in the region.”
“Russia has proved to be a friend of the Syrian people, and its positions have been repeatedly reaffirmed at the highest level. It is worth emphasizing that in the UN Security Council, Russia used its veto power against the calls of the side supporting terrorism four times,” al-Halaqi said.
According to al-Halaqi, a direct confirmation of friendly Russian policy towards Syria includes hosting two rounds of inter-Syrian consultations in Moscow this year, pointing out that a third round of Moscow-based inter-Syrian negotiations that will bring together representatives of Russia, the Syrian leadership, and members of opposition groups are currently in the planning stage.
Reem / Hazem Sabbagh
