Assad vows to defend Syria's sovereignty
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E-mail Xinhua, December 25, 2012
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to preserve Syria's sovereignty and independence as Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN-Arab League joint special envoy to Syria, was in the country to probe ways to end the crisis.
Assad said Monday that he is keen to make any efforts successful so long as they come in the framework of preserving Syria's sovereignty and independence and serve the interest of the Syrian people.
Assad made these remarks when he met and briefed Brahimi on the latest developments in Syria.
Syria's state-run SANA news agency reported that Brahimi briefed Assad on the outcomes of his recent efforts to help find a solution to the Syrian crisis, describing Assad's meeting with Brahimi were "cordial and constructive."
Brahimi said after the meeting that he and Assad exchanged opinion about the future steps to help the Syrian people exit from the crisis.
Brahimi did not disclose how to solve the crisis, just repeating his usual views that "the situation in Syria is still worrying," and urging all the parties to move ahead.
The international envoy set foot in Syria's capital Damascus on Sunday to meet Assad, government officials and some opposition factions. The envoy noted he would like to seize the opportunity.
The envoy denied that Assad originally didn't want to meet with him but accept his visit under Russia's mediation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow on Monday that the Syrian government has ensured Russia that it would not use chemical weapons under any circumstances.
"Every time we hear rumors that the Syrians are doing something with the chemical weapons, we double-check, we triple-check, we go directly to the government and all the time we get very firm assurances that this is not going to be used under any circumstances," Lavrov said in an interview with Russia Today TV channel.
Moscow believed that the latest reports about "some movements" of the chemical weapons in Syria were actually for the better storage of them, as Damascus gathered the chemical stuff into two sites from various locations.
It would be a "political suicide" for the Syrian government if it uses chemical weapons, Lavrov said.
Meanwhile, Lavrov criticized the strange western logic that if the rebels take hold of the chemical weapons, it would still be the fault of the Syrian government.
Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov Monday denied that Russia supplied Syria with offensive weapons.
"As for Syria, as far as we understand, there are no decisions to ban supply of defensive weapons to that country. Russia doesn't supply that country with the offensive weapons," Antonov told reporters in Moscow.
The official also denied media reports that Russia has sent "special task units" or air defense systems operators to Syria.
As for the cruises of Russian naval ships, Antonov said they were performing missions in "various parts of the globe," but not carrying Russian officers to Syria.
Also on Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Russia was ready to evacuate its citizens from Syria if needed, but noting it is just a contingency plan.
Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zaspykin stressed Monday that Russia's stance regarding the crisis is unchanged.
"Talks about a change in Russia's stance regarding the Syrian crisis is unrealistic as Russia clearly supports the return of stability to Syria and is urging all the concerned parties to engage in a political dialogue and reject violence and terrorism fueled by foreign powers," the ambassador was quoted as saying when he received a delegation from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
Zaspykin reiterated Russia's "firm stance as for preserving Syria's institutions and unity and holding to the Geneva Accord that calls for dialogue, which is in the best interest of Syria and its people without any foreign intervention."
The Russian diplomat stressed Moscow's "rejection to any foreign dictation on Syria and the necessity of all powers to respect Syria's sovereignty and the Syrian people's will."
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