Mikdad: Syria and its friends will not accept any dictations

Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Dr. Fayssal Mikdad asserted that the success of any international conference or effort wishing to help the Syrian people reach a political solution for the current crisis relies on honest intentions from those who support terrorism in Syria, since stopping terrorist and violence is vital to ending the crisis. In an interview with Al-Ikhbariya TV on Tuesday, Mikdad said that Syria is continuing its contacts with its friends to discuss issues related to participation and the agenda of the international conference agreed upon by Russia and the United States, in addition to learning about results of diplomatic activity in this regard, in order to specify Syria's position towards this conference. He pointed out that since the beginning, Syria has been desiring a political solution based on political reform and national dialogue, affirming that this position hasn't change until now and that the government's main concern – whether there are international conference or not – is to have Syrians reach a political solution among themselves which is led by Syria in order to restore security and stability. Mikdad underlined the achievements of the Syrian Army in combating terrorism on the ground and the growing Arab and international public awareness towards what is happening in Syria, adding that these factors produced the results of the recent US-Russian meeting in Moscow. The Deputy Minister stressed that what Syria primarily needs is stopping violence, ceasing the arming and funding of terrorist gangs which murder Syrians and destroy the country's economy and infrastructure, noting that this arming and funding is carried out by some western countries along with Turkey and some Arab Gulf countries with the aim of altering Syria's policies and shifting it from resisting Israel-western policies to become subservient to Israel and the west. Mikdad asserted that Syria will not accept any dictations, nor will its friends, saying that the Russian position is principled and based on the UN charter and the principles of international laws and counter-terrorism. He noted that some Arab countries are more concerned with Israel's interests than their own interests, which reached the point of yielding the occupied Palestinian territories and proposing the exchange of Palestinian territories for other Palestinian territories, which isn't in the interest of the Palestinian people but rather in the interest of Israel alone. Mikdad said that the Arab League secretariat helped destroyed the League or rather what's left of its credibility, with the League's Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi playing a destructive and dishonest role in leading this organization. He noted that Syria doesn't count on the statements of al-Arabi or others like him, and that no-one should be fooled by the positions taken by the League because the recent Summit decision was clear in its call for supporting, funding and arming in Syria, and because the League is now being led by Qatar and those who comply with the pressure it exerts. The Deputy Minister stressed that the Palestinian cause will remain alive in the hearts of all Syrians, and that Syria will continue to defend it and stand alongside the Palestinian people, believing in their right to return to their land and build their independent state, affirming that Syria's position in this matter will not be shaken by the current crisis. Mikdad said that the ones who should lift their hands off Palestinian camps are the Islamists who deal with Israel, trade in Palestinian blood, and lie to their people after they "moved the rifle from one shoulder to another and kissed the hands stained with the blood of Syrians." He pointed out that the Justice and Development Party government in Turkey is nothing more than a bunch of lies and charlatans who have no credibility and who turned Turkey into the NATO's plaything, adding that they don't even have a way out of the mess that got themselves into when they conspired against Syria and supported terrorism in it. Mikdad added that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is hysterical because he is a true accomplice in shedding Syrian blood, an extremist who holds allegiance to Al Qaeda in one way or another, and a falsifier and distorter of facts who misleads the Turkish people and government, in addition to being "a caricature representing a farce that should come to an end."