Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that his country remains steadfast after four and a half years of crisis, thanks to the support of the people and their hope for victory.
He told the Lebanese Hezbollah’s TV channel Al-Manar that Syria is keen on maintaining a relationship with Egypt. “Even when former President Mohamed Morsi offended us, we never stopped communication with Egypt,” Assad said, pointing out that he expects Egypt to continue its historical role of a sister country that helps the rest of the Arab countries and that Egypt and Syria are in the same trench fighting terrorists.
Assad said that for a political process to be fruitful it must be between independent political forces that belong to the Syrian people, not forces that are financially and politically associated with foreign powers.
On the Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, Assad said the terrorists are worse than the Israeli aggression. “Once we fight Israel’s tools inside Syria, no one can come near us,” he said.
On the nuclear deal with Iran, he said Iran refused to include Syria in the deal so as not to give up its support for Syria.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
