Mikdad: Syrian people main factor on which leadership counts in each step

Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Faisal Mikdad stressed that the Syrian official delegation to Geneva2 conference cannot exercise the policy of "working under the table" when it comes to Syria's destiny, pointing out that the Syrian people are the main factor that the Syrian leadership counts on in each and every step, and this is the ethical dimension of the Syrian foreign policy. "The Syrian leadership realizes in advance the scale of the conspiracy hatched against Syria, particularly in relation to the media dimension, and these media campaigns couldn't delude the Syrians," Mikdad said in an interview with the Syrian TV channel on Tuesday, SANA reported. "We have been one firm front since the beginning of the events in Syria," he added, noting that the change which has been caused in numerous Arab countries was meant only to get to finally reach Syria as it is the only resistant country at the Arab arena in face of the Israeli plots and the US hegemony attempts. Mikdad stressed that President Bashar al-Assad has been the only decision-maker with regard to going to Geneva and is the only decision-maker concerning the sessions of evaluation which the Syrian officials are holding over what has been achieved in Geneva. "We went to Geneva with clear directives to make dialogue a success, cease violence and bring hope back to the Syrians," Mikdad said, clarifying that the other party did not have this intention as it went to Geneva with one agenda and only one aim; that is of taking over the authority, "which is what we won't offer on a silver platter". He said Syria agreed to the attendance in Geneva of many countries which stood against Syria and adopted the so-called London and Paris declarations "so that they can be witness to their defeat, and for those we say…'you are responsible for the killing and bloodshed in Syria'." He said the world will soon witness "the breakup of the beads" of the line of hostility towards Syria "because many European states have started to protest against the "stupid" policies practiced by France and Britain against Syria. He added that the European Union, if it wants to keep its civilized and human face as the EU representative Catherine Ashton spoke at the opening of Geneva conference, it should repeal the economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian people, stressing that these sanctions are the main reason behind the continued humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people. Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister affirmed that the Russia's position on the crisis in Syria has always been responsible, having a main obsession of restoring stability and security to Syria and convincing those who have not been convinced yet of the need for ending terrorism and convincing the terrorists' masters that they do not practically represent anyone in Syria. As for the second round of dialogue in Geneva, Mikdad said "We will receive the directives of President al-Assad to determine Syria's stance in this regard and we will announce this stance soon," holding the other party responsible for hindering this dialogue. He reiterated that the other party's delusions to be handed in the keys of Damascus will never be met "neither now nor tomorrow and nor in the future." On the campaign of pressure waged against Syria on the chemical weapons issue, Mikdad stressed that Syria has fulfilled its obligations on time, asserting that Syria is still committed to all its obligations reached with the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). He affirmed that the Syrian government will continue coordination with the UN-OPCW joint mission in Syria for the implementation of these obligations on time. Answering a question on a decision taken by the Saudi regime on punishing Saudis get recruited to fight by the side of terrorist groupings, Mikdad said this decision is "a very tiny one that came too late", asserting that the Saudi regime is required not only to prevent Saudis from practicing terrorist acts, but more importantly to halt supporting, arming and funding the terrorists and global terrorism. The Saudi regime, he added, must also stop supporting tens of extremist TV channels which it has established for promoting terrorism directly or indirectly, stressing that this regime has become a real sponsor of world terrorism.