Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Related Articles
Damascus, SANA – Under the patronage of President Bashar al-Assad, the International Media Conference Against Terrorism kicked off at the Opera House in Damascus on Friday.
Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said, during the opening of the Conference which is organized by the Ministry of Information, that all the region’s countries are a target for the Zionist and Wahhabi project, adding that this project should be confronted through unity.
Al-Zoubi said that the Syrian leadership, characterized by reasonability, wisdom and bravery, has taken a positive stance towards the Russian initiative for establishing an alliance against terrorism because it regards it as a must and a need.
He blamed the spread of terrorism on the non-abidance by the UN resolutions on counterterrorism, which he said have not been implemented because of “favoritism towards the regional countries fostering terrorism,” including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Israel.
The absence of any serious international and regional effort for combating terrorism has given rein to terrorists to expand and develop their methods of criminality.
This failure to enforce the international counterterrorism resolutions and the resulting ineffectiveness in fighting terrorism were reiterated by Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem.
Speaking of the talk to establish a regional alliance against terrorism, al-Moallem took the opportunity to thank Russian President Vladimir Putin, “who was the first among world leaders to work for creating a regional and international alliance for combating terrorism.”
“The need to create such an alliance is certain particularly in light of the failure of the anti-ISIS alliance established by the US,” said al-Moallem, wondering “Does the US really intend to eliminate ISIS, or does it want to exploit it to realize its strategic goals?”
He stressed that it is the Syrian Arab Army, the national defense forces and the Lebanese Resistance that are really confronting terrorism.
Given these facts, al-Moallem said, the chances of setting up a regional alliance against terrorism in the near future “need a miracle.”
Yet on the medium term, he added, the security necessities imposed by the spread of terrorism and its backfiring on its backers would make it incumbent on Syria’s neighboring countries to discuss establishing this alliance with the Syrian government.
Referring to the issue of finding a political solution in Syria, al-Moallem said the Syrian government has “constructive ideas” for a comprehensive political solution that would contribute to shaping Syria’s future.”
“Nevertheless, we don’t talk of these ideas so that others would not think that we are trying to impose them, but we leave it to the dialogue among the Syrians in Moscow,” he added, referring to inter-Syrian talks that started in Russian capital earlier this year.
“We stress that we are committed to abiding by the outcomes of this dialogue, and we still think that going to Geneva 3 is premature as long as the Syrians haven’t yet arrived at tackling their issues, and it was on this basis that we welcomed holding Moscow 3 to better prepare for Geneva conference,” said al-Moallem.
He made it clear that any political solution that is not the result of dialogue among the Syrians and does not put fighting terrorism as the priority would not be efficacious.
Responding to various views that the recently agreed Iran’s nuclear deal with the world major powers could have positive or negative impact on the crisis in Syria, al-Moallem hailed the deal as historic, saying it would allow Iran to act more actively in the international arena.
Al-Moallem stroke a confident note by saying that “the stronger our ally is the stronger we are,” affirming that Iran will not change its position on the crisis in Syria, which was made very clear in the recent statements of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials.
He called on the world countries to follow in Iran’s footsteps in its defense of justice and peace, saying that Iran has provided all forms of the support to the Syrian people before the nuclear deal and during the period of its negotiations and will continue to do so after it was signed.
“This deal is a clear recognition of Iran’s pivotal role in the regional and international arenas,” said al-Moallem, adding that the deal would out to test the seriousness of the West, particularly the US, to utilize this fact in combating terrorism and finding political solutions to the region’s crises.
Whether the impact of the nuclear deal would be positive or not positive, “no one in the world could influence the Syrian people” who alone handle the reins concerning the crisis in Syria,” al-Moallem stressed.
Ali Karimian, Secretary General of the Islamic Radio and Television Union pointed out that the schemes of “enemies” are on the wane with some of them either already in tatters or on the verge of collapse. “But Takfiri terrorism poses a major threat…The battle against it will be a tough one,” he added.
He considered that the Takfiri current that has swept through the entire region has its roots in the first place in thought and ideologies, calling for a rigorous study of the phenomenon of terrorism.
The conference, having been held in Syria, has been a “vital necessity”, Karmimian said.
Iran’s Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Ali Jannati also spoke at the conference, saying that Iran will continue to stand by the Syrian people as it stands by the side of justice.
“We have to be more strongly and effectively present at the front of resistance to face Zionism and racism and battle with Takfirism and fanaticism that are the result of the misunderstanding of Islam,” said Jannati.
Deputy Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Party Naim Qassem stressed that Syria has completely foiled the project aimed at diverting its political orientation towards the US-Israeli axis instead of the axis of the resistance.
The Syrian people’s will is no longer breakable now, in the same way that attempts to bring Syria down and take it out the resistance axis are no longer possible, said Qassem, voicing pride in the participation of the resistance axis in confronting the conspiracy targeting Syria.
He affirmed in this context that Hezbollah will continue supporting Syria and will be present wherever needed by the resistance project.
Around 130 journalists from Russia, Iran, Cuba, Spain, China, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Cyprus, Britain, Germany and Kuwait are participating in the two-day conference, in addition to Syrian journalists.
Discussions will focus on the role of the national, friendly and hostile media in the political and intellectual discourse, the importance of military reporting, the role played by media in the ongoing wars, the formation of the new world and means of creating a regional and international alliance for countering terrorism.
The conference had started by screening a film about the Syrian civilization and the high development rates in Syria before 2010.
English Bulletin
