Damascus, SANA – State Minister for National Reconciliation Affairs Ali Haidar said that the increasing pace of reconciliations and their expansion across Syrian areas wouldn’t have been possible without the achievements made on the ground by the Syrian Arab Army and supporting forces.
Meeting Iran’s Ambassador to Syria Javad Torkabadi on Monday, Haidar said that Syria, Iran, and the resistance axis are being targeted due to their firm position on restoring rights, supporting the resistance, and rejecting American hegemony, affirming that the strategic Syrian-Iranian relations are deep-rooted and cannot be undermined.
For his part, Torkabadi affirmed Iran’s commitment to supporting Syria in fighting terrorism and backing reconciliations.
In a statement to journalists after the meeting, Haidar said that reconciliations are carried out over stages, and that they will target more areas in various provinces including Damascus Countryside, Homs, and Hama where the Syrian Army is making progress, in addition to reconciliations in Quneitra and Daraa countryside.
Regarding Yarmouk Camp and towns south of Damascus, the State Minister said that an agreement was reached more than a year ago covering Yarmouk Camp, al-Hajar al-Aswad, Yelda, Bebila, and Beit Sahm where ISIS and al-Nusra are present, and some militants have left those areas back then, and now there’s work to implement this agreement and clear those areas of weapons and militants.
Regarding the Eastern Ghouta area and the possibility of reaching reconciliations in towns controlled by terrorist groups, Haidar said that new reconciliations cannot be discussed without signing agreements and devising a practical and public plan for evacuating militants.
Hazem Sabbagh