ON Saturday, President Bashar al-Assad received a Russian governmental delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Head of the Russian side to the Joint Committee of the Syrian-Russian trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation.
Talks during the meeting dealt with bilateral relations between Syria and Russia and the importance of broadening aspects of the standing cooperation, with President al-Assad appreciating Russia’s stances in support of the Syrian people in their war against terrorism.
The President affirmed the role of Russia in preserving stability in the world and confronting the western attempts of dominating countries in the region.
President al-Assad clarified that the West is always seeking to subjugate countries which do not agree to its hegemony in various ways from time to time, however, the most dangerous of these ways is supporting extremism and terrorism in those countries to destabilise and weaken them.
The Syrian president added that the practices of the West necessitate forming an international movement to exert pressure over the countries which are supporting terrorism to stop their practices.
For his part, Rogozin stressed the Russian firm stance in bolstering Syria’s steadfastness and its complete readiness to consolidate cooperation between the two sides in various ways, expressing hope that the joint committee of the two countries will be held soon.
He described the policy of the west towards Syria as ignoring the genuine interests of the Syrian people, asserting that the presidential elections gain great importance in light of the current circumstances because they give the Syrians the opportunity to express their will and shape the future of their country far from foreign dictates.
In a statement following the meeting, Rogozin considered the policy of the West towards Syria and the presidential elections as ‘immoral and ignoring the interests of the Syrian people’. He called on the Western countries to take a stance similar to that of Russia and the countries which see no alternative to the political dialogue far from political dictates.
Of the presidential elections of Syria, Rogozin said: ‘The Syrian presidential elections gain legitimacy from the fact that they are held according to the constitution of the Syrian Arab Republic and in the legal time, and they gain greatest importance from the national dialogue and reconciliation for the people to choose their legitimate president.’
Rogozin pointed out that sending Russian parliamentarians to keep up with the presidential elections in Syria is due to the cooperation among the parliamentary structures, adding that even with the presence of supervisors there are no guarantees that there will not be some future attempts to doubt the results of the presidential elections in Syria.
He noted that Russia looks with confidence at the future of Syria and with commitment to the principles of the international legitimacy and law, adding that the Syrian side was invited to visit Russia and hold a session for the Syrian-Russian governmental committee which is dedicated to economic, commercial, technical and scientific cooperation.
Concerning the chemical weapons in Syria, Rogozin mentioned the statement of the UN Secretary-General in which he talked about the possibility of delaying the date of transporting weapons outside Syria to a new deadline, addressing the countries which are supporting the gunmen to give orders to ensure secure channels to solve all issues related to ending this matter and reviewing it at the Security Council.
Meanwhile, on the Arab Doctors’ Day, Syria’s Doctors’ Syndicate on Sunday held a celebration to honour a number of doctors who offered great services in the health sector. The celebration at Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus took place with the participation of Prime Minister, Dr Wael al-Halqi, who stressed that the Arab Doctors’ Day motivates doctors to offer more development and advancement in the field of qualitative medical services.
Al-Halqi clarified the importance of the role played by the Doctors’ Syndicate in the field of developing the profession and regulating work at the health sector. He pointed to the volume of sabotage and attacks on the healthcare institutions by the armed terrorist groups, hailing the efforts exerted by the employees in the health sector to continue offering medical services to all citizens.
Al-Halqi reiterated the government’s commitment to offer all humanitarian and social services to all citizens and its continued support to energy and food supplies, in addition to accomplishing national reconsolidations on the level of neighbourhoods and districts in line with the victories of the Syrian Arab Army in all Syrian territories.
He pointed out that the government is completing preparations for the presidential elections based on the principle of political pluralism, calling on all Syrians to participate in shaping the future of Syria.
For his part, Chief of Syria’s Doctors, Abdul-Qader al-Hassan, said: ‘On this day, we have the privilege to name this occasion as “the Syrian Arab Doctor’s Day” who proved during the crisis in Syria that he/she is a real soldier in the battlefield through exerting efforts to offer medical services to all citizens.’
• The Syrian Army has tightened its grip on armed terrorist groups, carrying out intense military operations against their gatherings and hideouts in several areas around the country.
Army units foiled an armed terrorist group’s attempt of infiltration towards Jadia in Daraa countryside, killing many terrorists and injuring others.
Army units confronted armed terrorist groups that were trying to attack a number of military posts in Ariha in the surrounding of Jabal al-Arbaeen in the countryside of Aleppo. A big number of terrorists were killed and injured, and their equipment was destroyed.
Army units targeted terrorists’ dens and gatherings in Maar Zaf town, Bzabour villages and in the area surrounding al-Arba’een mountain in Idleb countryside, killing and injuring scores of them, in addition to destroying their weapons and ammunition.
Army units also foiled terrorists’ attempts to infiltrate from al-Rastan towards military checkpoints to the west of al-Rastan Dam in Homs countryside, inflicting heavy losses upon them. Other army units targeted the armed terrorist groups in Taldo and Kfar Laha villages in al-Houleh in Homs countryside, killing and injuring scores of them.
In Aleppo, army units targeted the armed terrorist groups in the Industrial City, Al-Halak neighbourhood, al-Jandoul roundabout, Bab al-Nayrab, Bani Zaid, al-kalasa, Bustan al-Qaseir, al-Ameriyeh, al-Mashhad and al-Rashideen, destroying four cars in Hanaho and al-Layrmoun in Aleppo and killing a large number of terrorists.
Other army units eliminated scores of terrorists in the area surrounding Kwaires, Rasm al-Aboud, al-Jadideh, al-Jbaliyeh, Tal Rifaat, Daret Ezzeh, Hreitan, Mar’a, Handarat, Andan, al-Mslmiyeh and Khan al-Assal, destroying many cars equipped with heavy machine guns.
Also, two days of clashes between militant groups in Syria’s eastern province of Deir Ezzor left scores of foreign-backed militants dead on Sunday morning.
Some Arab media outlets released the names of 90 members of the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) who were killed by rival al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front militants in clashes near the border with Iraq. ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has promised to take revenge.
