MOSCOW: Former Syrian President Bashar Assad did not coordinate his approaches with Russia prior to his resignation, Russian Foreign Minist...
MOSCOW: Former Syrian President Bashar Assad did not coordinate his approaches with Russia prior to his resignation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
"He did not coordinate any approaches. We maintained close relations with Assad and extended assistance to his government in 2015, when Damascus was effectively besieged and at risk of falling to opposition forces. We established military presence there - air force and naval bases - and actively worked to dismantle terrorist strongholds. Our efforts were collaborative, involving other international partners, primarily Iran and Turkey. Overall, the process was quite positive," Lavrov stated.
Reflecting on the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, Lavrov noted, "The agreements we reached with our Iranian and Turkish colleagues faced repeated setbacks. These agreements were not entirely dependent on the Assad government. I prefer not to draw definitive historical conclusions now, but many opportunities were missed regarding national reconciliation, consensus, and inviting all political and ethno-confessional groups to participate in dialogue."
He also recalled the situation a year ago when certain events unfolded in Syria. "At that time, we had no combat units on the ground - only two bases, one air and one naval. The rapid advance of the opposition, led by Ahmed al-Shara'a, was unexpected. They seized territory with little resistance," Lavrov explained.
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