Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed, in an interview with the Russian news agency "Sputnik", that his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "is linked to Turkey's willingness to fully withdraw from Syrian territory, cease supporting terrorism, and restore the situation to what it was before the war in Syria. This is the only condition under which a meeting between me and Erdogan can take place; aside from that, what is the value of this meeting, and why should we hold it if it does not achieve any final results regarding the war in Syria?"
He mentioned that Syria "trusts the Russian side, which has acted as a mediator to facilitate communications, but within the foundations upon which Russian policy is based, including respect for international law, respect for state sovereignty, rejection of terrorism, the unity of Syrian territory, and Syrian sovereignty over its land, as well as the exit of illegal foreign forces from Syrian territory."
Assad continued that "anything that can change the course of the war toward ending it with the restoration of all Syrian rights, reclaiming occupied territories, and complete restoration of the sovereignty of the Syrian state is something we must strive to try. This is what Russia is working on in cooperation with Syria."
The Russian news agency reported that President Assad stated today that Damascus would welcome any proposals from Russia to establish new military bases or increase the number of its forces in Syria.
Assad, who is visiting Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, mentioned that the Russian military presence in his country should not be temporary.
He arrived in Moscow on Wednesday and met with President Putin, who welcomed him and expressed regret over the earthquake disaster that exacerbated the suffering of the Syrian people, stating, "As loyal friends, we do everything we can to alleviate this suffering."
Putin noted that relations between Russia and Syria are continuously developing and that the volume of trade between them has increased.
For his part, the Syrian President said, "I am very happy with this visit. Meetings between our officials are unceasing, but the international changes over the past year require us to meet to set common visions for this stage."
Assad added, "We thank Russia for the significant assistance it has provided in facing the repercussions of the earthquake, particularly the Ministry of Defense and the Russian army, which directly contributed to rescuing those injured by the earthquake."
He pointed out that the Syrian people are grateful to Russia, both government and people, for its positions affirming commitment to respecting Syria's sovereignty and the unity of its territory.
Assad also noted that his visit to Moscow today is the first since the war in Ukraine, reiterating "Syria's support for Russia in its war against the Nazism supported by the West."
He emphasized that "there is a necessity to restore balance to the world today; otherwise, it will head toward explosion and destruction."
