HUNDREDS of Syrians gathered on Friday morning in front of the UN’s Headquarters in Geneva to express their support for their country, Syria, its army and Syria’s official delegation to Geneva 2 conference.
They expressed their rejection of the terrorism backed by regional and international countries.
The Syrian citizens raised national flags and photos of President Bashar al-Assad, chanting slogans in support of Syria and its army in confronting terrorism which is targeting the Syrians.
They also expressed full support to Syria’s official delegation taking part in Geneva 2 conference as the one which represents the Syrians and shoulders their concerns, hailing the delegation’s stances in defending the Syrians’ rights and interests.
The participants called for continuing fighting terrorism and extremism, in addition to forcing countries which support terrorists to adopt UN resolutions related to fighting terrorism and stopping arming, supporting and financing terrorists.
They also affirmed the need for engaging national opposition in the talks regarding Syria’s future and not to limiting opposition to a delegation that only represents the western and US interests in the region.
Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi told the participants in the march that the next round of dialogue should include all spectra of the national opposition with which we agree regarding the love of the homeland and drawing its future.
The Minister stressed that the Syrian official delegation taking part in the conference will never give up on Syrian sovereignty and the coalition delegation knows well that there is no Syrian who can give up on a single drop of soil from the Syrian territories.
Al-Zoubi pointed out that Geneva 2 conference did not reach results as the coalition delegation refused to condemn terrorism and foreign intervention.
He added that the Syrian official delegation asked the UN Envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, officially to have the opposition delegation next time representing all opposition factions.
Al-Zoubi said that in the coming days, there will be a new round of talks, in principle, but neither in this round nor in any other round to follow could they get any surrender from the Syrian official delegation.
He noted that the Lebanese who support Syria today are the resistance and they are not only from Hezbollah, adding that the vast majority of the Palestinian people support Syria.
Al-Zoubi concluded: ‘From Geneva, the greatest salutation is sent to the Syrian Arab Army that is fighting in defence of us all and the greatest salutation as well is sent to the martyrs of Syria.
Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations Dr Bashar al-Jaafari, also addressed the participants saying: ‘We conveyed your voice into the hall of dialogue and told them who wants to know what the Syrian people want should go outside the meeting hall to see the gathering people.’
Al-Jaafari said that only the Syrian people determine their own future, but the coalition delegation thinks that they came to receive power.
He added: ‘We do not want a delegation that is controlled by Turkey, the US and France; we want honest Syrian citizens to sit and discuss the future of Syria with us.’
Al-Jaafari said: ‘Collective work led us to where we are now, and we are here to help the homeland emerge out of the crisis which we know its causes and solution.’
For her part, Presidential political and media advisor, Buthaina Shaaban, affirmed that Syria is for all Arabs and for the world’s freedom fighters, adding that the secret of its strength lies behind its great people, and it did not and won’t abandon any of its or Arab rights.
Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad said that the Syrian people are against terrorism and want restoration of security, adding that Syria has withstood due to the people’s continuous support to President Bashar al-Assad.
Earlier Damascus said it will make ‘no concessions’ in peace talks with the ‘opposition’, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi said as a week of negotiations were wrapping up in Geneva.
‘Neither in this round, nor in the next will they (the opposition and their allies) obtain any concessions from the Syrian delegation,’ Zohbi told a group of pro-government demonstrators outside the UN’s European headquarters in the Swiss city.
Several hundred demonstrators cheered, waving Syrian flags in all sizes and giant pictures of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, shouting ‘Bashar forever!’
Zohbi said: ‘They will not obtain any concessions, Israel has not been able to obtain any concession (from the Syrian regime) in half a century, terrorism has not been able to obtain any concession over the past three years, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the plotters in Lebanon have not managed to obtain any concession through force.
‘They will not get through politics what they couldn’t get through force,’ he insisted, to thundering applause.
Delegations from Assad’s goverment and the opposition National Coalition have been locked in talks for the past week in the biggest diplomatic push yet to end a nearly three-year civil war that has left more than 130,000 dead and forced millions from their homes.
On Thursday evening Shaaban said: ‘We won’t accept whatever contradicts our principles and the Syrians’ interests.’
Presidential Political and Media Advisor, Dr Bouthaina Shaaban, reaffirmed that the Syrian official delegation participating in Geneva is strongly present and it will not accept whatever contradicts its convictions, principles and the Syrian people’s interests, pointing out that Geneva 1 Communique stipulates that nothing can be done but through both parties’ agreement.
On the US attempt to bring the armed factions of ‘the Islamic Front’ and others to broaden the coalition and make them join the negotiation table, Shaaban said: ‘That reflects their dubious relations with these sides that perpetrate acts of killing, mutilating kidnapping, in addition to sabotaging state institutions.
‘There is an international side along with our Russian friends who see that adopting the political track may lead to outcomes that fulfil the Syrian people’s interests.
‘The secret of Syrian diplomacy is simple, which is represented through believing in the homeland and its sanctity, it is clear that our choice is either to live with dignity in our homeland or die defending it.’
On the former US Ambassador Robert Ford’s statements, Shaaban said: ‘I do not know what makes him so bold as to address a speech to the Syrian people, I described him as “High Commissioner”,’ adding ‘Ford thinks that Syria is under occupation, and that is because those cooperating with him make him understand that this is acceptable for them and because they receive his orders, so he thinks that the Syrians accept that, but he is mistaken.’
She stressed that the US escalation manifested through what Ambassador Ford and President Barack Obama have done is a result of our steadfastness and conviction that they will not be able to change anything.
On the official delegation’s feeling that it was negotiating with the US upon setting with the coalition delegation, Dr Shaaban said that: ‘We presented a paper condemning the US declaration of re-arming the so-called opposition, but the other party turned it down and refused to condemn the US decision.’
Shaaban pointed out that there is no term in the world called ‘an armed opposition, nor is there a law that allows to arm an opposition, which makes it a crime.’
Shaaban continued: ‘Had their been good intention in exerting efforts for solving the crisis, the national internal opposition should have been invited along with Iran, which represents a major regional power.’
On what has been said of coalition’s achievement by gaining the recognition of the official delegation in Geneva communiqué, particularly item No. 8 which talks about ‘a transitional body’, Shaaban clarified that the other side attempts to achieve an imaginary victory, adding that the Syrian government has come to Geneva according to the UN Secretary General’s invitation which is based on Geneva1 Communiqué and we do not have any problem with that.
‘The other party’s problem is that they want to jump to item no. 8, but there is no logic that says we should start reading a paper from line no. 20, rather we should begin with line no. one of Geneva 1 Communique, which is cessation of violence, named terrorism, now it is impossible to move to the political track without halting terrorism, which is targeting our people, institutions and army.’
The Syrian senior official reaffirmed the need for putting pressure on regional countries that finance, arm and send terrorists to stop that.
