| ID | 137319 |
| Title Proper | Russia and Syria |
| Other Title Information | a special historical relationship |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Haddad, Riad |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | International Affairs: Mr. Ambassador, what is the status of the crisis settlement process in Syria?
Riad Haddad: The Syrian leadership has been calling for a political settlement of the crisis through a comprehensive national dialogue with the participation of all representatives of Syrian society. We are continuing to work in this direction. It may be recalled that in 2013 President Bashar Assad put forward a plan to settle the Syrian crisis and make a transition to a new Syria without outside interference.
We proclaimed the same approach at the Geneva Conference, and the Syrian delegation, the only representative of the Syrian people, was sincere and serious in the course of the negotiations. At the same time, the presentation by Secretary of State John Kerry at the opening of the Geneva-2 Conference was provocative and destabilizing. In response to that, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem stated that no one has the right to decide the fate of the Syrian people except the Syrians themselves, reminding Kerry and his allies about the UN Charter and the principles of international law prohibiting interference in the affairs of independent states. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Affairs (Moscow) Vol. 60, No.4; 2014: p.201-204 |
| Journal Source | International Affairs (Moscow) Vol: 60 No 4 |
| Key Words | Syria ; Russia ; John Kerry ; Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) ; Bashar Assad ; Arab States ; International Law |