Assad: Russia's military presence in Syria is long-term and necessary
(Baonghean.vn) - TASS reported that in an interview with Russian media, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that Russia's military presence in Syria is long-term and more necessary than just conducting the war against terrorism.
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| Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Internet |
The Syrian leader confirmed that Moscow and Damascus have reached an agreement on the status of Khmeimim Air Base, which is expected to be in effect “for another 40 years”.
“If the Russian army came here only to fight terrorism – then why did we sign an agreement that would last for more than 40 years? If that were the case, we would have limited it to a few years and gradually extended it,” Assad said.
Assad called Russia a great country that has responsibilities to the whole world. “Part of that responsibility is to establish a political and military presence in different regions when necessary. Perhaps Russia does not want to get involved militarily, but the realities of the world sometimes force us to act in a certain direction,” President Assad clarified.
He added that the Russian Army is needed to maintain balance in the Middle East, until the balance of power is adjusted.
Russia's military operations in Syria began in September 2015. Late last year, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said that “in Syria more than 48,000 Russian servicemen gained invaluable combat experience.”
In early December 2017, President Vladimir Putin declared the defeat of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization in Syria.
