Syrian President Bashar al-Assad confirmed during his meeting today, Wednesday, with participants in the Syrian-Russian youth camp that "the relationship between Syria and Russia and its future is not limited to politics, economy, or military cooperation; it extends to the social and popular dimension and relies on the youth in both countries, who will shape a new form and content for that relationship in the future."
President Assad emphasized during his conversation with the camp participants, organized by the National Union of Syrian Students and the Russian Young Guard movement, the commonalities between the two countries. He stated, "You and we uphold our principles and dignity, and today we share in facing the same enemies and the same lies. New Nazis in Ukraine are attacking civilians, and Russia is being blamed; what happened in Syria is exactly similar."
He noted that "if President Putin had not made the decision to fight terrorism in Syria, the number of terrorists would have multiplied many times over in Russia. Some ask why President Putin sent aircraft to Syria? The answer is that he was protecting Russia and its people first and foremost."
President Assad addressed the Russian participants, saying, "In every society, there should be historical and national symbols. You should be proud of your history; no one has the right to attack historical symbols." He added, "The West does not oppose Russia because of Ukraine or because it was a communist country; it has been opposing it for three centuries because it has been transforming from a weak state into a strong one, and the West does not accept strong nations."
