Russian Ambassador: Moscow continues boosting Syria’s military capabilities to fight terrorism

Damascus, SANA- Moscow will continue providing Syria with everything that is necessary for it to ensure its army’s defense capabilities in its struggle against terrorism, Russian Ambassador to Syria Alexander Kinshchak said.

In an exclusive interview given to SANA, his first since he was appointed an Ambassador in Damascus, Kinshchak stressed that Russia has employed all its capabilities to prevent military intervention in Syria by regional forces.

Moscow, he said, has no intention to make any direct military move as it believes that intervening in the internal affairs of states is of no use.

Kinshchak told SANA that Russia’s role as far as the crisis in Syria is concerned is to provide the “legitimate” Syrian government with whatever it needs for combating the terrorism facing it and help in creating the favorable conditions to have the crisis settled through a political solution, which he said is the only feasible solution.

In his comments on the second round of talks which were launched yesterday within Moscow consultative meetings to prepare for an inter-Syrian dialogue, Kinshchak clarified that his country works on providing the suitable atmosphere to arrive at a sort of agreement that is acceptable to all the sides concerned.

Russia’s efforts, he added, aim at getting to have the Syrians reach a formula for the aspired national reconciliation.

The ongoing talks in Moscow, the Ambassador noted, will discuss a set of “sound and clear” items, namely coordinating efforts among national powers to combat terrorism and launch a political process that includes all political forces inside or outside Syria.

After starting meetings yesterday, members of the opposition figures participating in the second round of talks resumed talks earlier today to reach a joint work paper before meeting the Syrian government delegation tomorrow.

The closed-door meetings are held under the supervision of moderator Vitaly Naumkin, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Ambassador Kinshchak added that Moscow talks will also discuss the issue of ameliorating the humanitarian situation in Syria, particularly in the isolated areas which have become battle fields, hoping that tangible measures to that effect could be reached.

Kinshchak dismissed Washington’s training program for the so-called “armed opposition” as a “failing project that is not helpful for the political solution efforts.

The Ambassador stressed that the essence of the friendly Syrian-Russian relations is immune to change by whatever external factors, adding that under the current circumstances, Moscow and Damascus can move forward with regard to the economic field of these relations.

He demanded more effective role of the Joint Syrian-Russian Cooperation Committee.

About the Russian humanitarian aid offered to Syria, Kinshchak said  more than 20 aircrafts carrying relief and humanitarian supplies have been sent to Syria since the outset of the crisis there.

Another ship loaded with wheat will be sent soon to Syria, the Ambassador added.

He also indicated a rise in the number of scholarships offered to Syrian students by around 50 %.

Rasha Milhem/Manar al-Frieh/Haifa Said

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