WITH the beginning of the New Year, President Bashar al-Assad visited army and popular defense forces on the firing lines of Jobar, in the Damascus countryside.
President al-Assad toured a number of posts and military units which face armed terrorist groups, hailing and appreciating the forces’ victories and sacrifices to keep the people of Damascus and its surroundings, as well as their properties, protected and safe.
‘On the New Year, families meet together, but you wanted to be here to protect your people and country, leaving your families behind’ President al-Assad addressed the soldiers, affirming that, ‘receiving a New Year is everybody’s hope, but the bigger hope is the victory of our armed forces and of all those who fought alongside with them, in our battle against terrorism’.
Greeting families, soldiers of the Syrian army and popular defence forces, the President wished quick recovery for the injured ones, affirming that sacrifices of martyrs, injured soldiers and the determination of their families were the most important basis for Syria’s steadfastness.
The president also hailed soldiers on the firing lines in Jobar and all those who carried arms for defending the homeland in all hot spots of Syria, where terrorists attacked their people, and addressed soldiers by saying: ‘We do embrace you, as a society and people, but we derive our morale from you and your high morale.’
For their part, the soldiers affirmed that they will keep defending Syria, preserving its soil and pride until terrorism is defeated and safety and security restored to the homeland.
• In Damascus, the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East for the Greek Orthodox Church on Thursday urged the world to stop the war against Syria.
Presiding at mass at the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus on New Year’s day, Patriarch John X Yazigi said, ‘My message to the whole world is to stop the war on Syria,’ adding that, ‘We reject making our youths the fuel of a blind takfiri mentality and extremism.’
He stressed that ‘Western civilisation, which was lit by our land’s Bible, owes it for history and culture not destruction and sedition,’ praying that peace will prevail again in Syria and all kidnapped persons, including bishops John Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi, will return safe and sound to their relatives.
Patriarch Yazigi prayed to God to save Syria and President Bashar al-Assad and return peace and security to the country.
• Meanwhile, Russia is continuing its efforts to bring the Syrian government and the opposition together for talks.
Turkey has welcomed Russia’s initiative to resume peace talks aiming to end the Syrian crisis, but underlined that a political transition is a must because the regime of President Bashar al-Assad ‘has lost its legitimacy’.
All parties to the Syrian cause should be part of efforts to find a solution to the crisis, which must include a ‘political transition’ in Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said yesterday during a joint press conference with Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov.
No country, including Russia and Iran, ‘should be isolated’ from peace efforts, the minister said. ‘Everybody, including Russia and Iran, should have influence on the political transition,’ meaning meetings between Russia and the Syrian opposition were ‘normal,’ he added.
Turkey is closely following developments regarding consultations between Russians and the Syrian opposition, the minister added.
His remarks came following a question regarding Russian efforts to mediate between Syrian opposition groups and the al-Assad regime, are expected to gather in Moscow.
The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) is the legitimate representative of the Syrian opposition according to Turkey, Cavusoglu said, adding that the SNC was in contact with other opposition groups as well.
Russia plans to host delegations from the Syrian opposition in late January, possibly followed by a visit by regime representatives that could bring the two sides together for talks, the Foreign Ministry said on December 25.
Members of the Syrian opposition are expected in Moscow ‘after January 20’, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told reporters on.
‘We expect this group to include representatives of both the “internal” and “external” opposition,’ said Lukashevich, meaning delegates based inside and outside the country. ‘It will be a compact group’ that will meet to work out a position, he said.
‘After that, we plan to invite representatives of the government, and the sides will try to express, in an informal atmosphere, their vision and ways of regulating the conflict,’ he added.
The main Syrian opposition forces, particularly the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) and the Coordination Committee, have made a big step towards the signing of a paper of understanding on attending the expected dialogue conference in Moscow between the regime and the opposition in a unified delegation which has a joint vision about a political solution to the Syrian crisis which has been continuing since March 2011.