President Ahmed al-Shara stressed on Thursday that negotiations with Israel have not reached an impasse, but they are facing great difficulties due to the Israeli side's insistence on staying inside Syrian territory , stressing at the same time that Damascus is working to reach a security agreement that guarantees the stability of the region and preserves Syrian rights.
President Al-Sharaa explained that the partnership between Syria and Turkey constitutes a base on which to build for the future of the security of the region and the world, pointing out that relations between the two countries are based on solid historical and geographical ties, and his remarks came in an interview with Anadolu Agency, on the sidelines of his participation in the fifth edition of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey.
President Al-Sharaa pointed out that there are vast opportunities to strengthen the regional connectivity between Syria and Turkey, recalling that Ankara has supported the Syrian revolution for 14 years and stood by the Syrian people, and that the current stage is witnessing an increasing trend towards developing cooperation in joint economic and development projects.
During the dialogue, Al-Sharaa addressed a number of files, including energy, relations with Turkey and Ukraine, in addition to the negotiation process with Israel. He also stressed that Syria has passed the stage of isolation imposed by the former regime, and has practically begun to consolidate its position as a link between East and West, pointing out that the country has moved from a state of crisis to a great historical opportunity to move towards stability, reconstruction and reconstruction.
Full text of the interview:
** How do you assess the course of relations with Turkey, and what are the details of the joint projects?
Syria suffered from regional isolation during the rule of the former regime (the regime of the ousted Bashar al-Assad), and the liberation of the country was an opportunity to reconnect our relations, especially with Turkey, which supported the Syrian revolution for 14 years and stood by the oppressed people.. Syria has turned from a crisis to a variety of opportunities, and we have tried to point out these opportunities during our frequent visits, whether to Turkey or to other countries... There are great opportunities for regional linkages between Syria and Turkey, as it is the link between East and West.There is a free zone that is now being worked on to be a Syrian-Turkish free zone to transfer some industries or participate in specific industries in the Idlib region (northwest), which is on main roads linking Idlib, Latakia (west), Aleppo (north) and Damascus. There are also many projects that we have worked on, including the expansion of airports, as well as linking ports and investing in them, and there are Turkish companies working with infrastructure to rebuild Syria and restore infrastructure inside Syria.
** The current confrontation between the United States and Israel on the one hand, and Iran on the other, has caused a global energy crisis. What role can Syria play with alternative supply lines?
I think Syria has signaled that it has reinvested its strategic location since we arrived in Damascus last year.. But people felt the need for this location even more after the outbreak of the war in Iran, especially the world was hit by the interruption of energy supplies.
Syria is certainly a safe passage and an alternative route for energy supplies and supply chains, especially the connection between the Persian Gulf and Turkey and through Syria and Jordan at the same time.
Syria's view of the Mediterranean Sea via this route constitutes a good, excellent and secure link between East-West supply chains and also energy supply.
This was already done with a joint agreement between Syria and Iraq, and the export of Iraqi petroleum products through Syrian ports has begun.
I believe that today relations also help greatly, stable relations between Turkey, Syria, Jordan and the Gulf countries, and also more security.
Some of the challenges facing it (regional connectivity) is the stability of the region and its remaining neutral in the midst of the conflicts that are taking place around it.
** Is the Four Seas Project parallel to this? Is it part of this big chain, regional integration and reconnection of roads?
Yes, it is part of this big chain, regional integration and reconnecting roads. The most important thing now is that the world is looking for security for supply chains and energy supply.
He also believed in this integration with Azerbaijan and its view of the Caspian Sea, as well as Syria and its view, and Turkey on the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Arab Gulf countries and its view of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf at the same time.
** Where have the security negotiations with Israel reached with the mediation of the United States? What is your comment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent statements about southern Syria and the Druze community?
After being subjected to a major war during the past 14 years in its confrontation with the former regime, its policy was focused on development and reconstruction, and this needs some kind of stability.
Israel met Syria with great brutality, targeting many Syrian sites, attacking Syrian territory and occupying part of these territories adjacent to the occupied Golan as well.
We have chosen the path of diplomacy and persuading the international community to help so that things do not get worse and go into a state of conflict, especially after the Syrian people have been exhausted over the past 14 years.
We are serious about getting some kind of security agreement (with Israel) that preserves the stability of the region.
Syria today has moved from a state of crisis and the idea of all countries has begun to take shape and to look at it as a state of regional and international stability, because people have experienced Syria in a state of crises and have also experienced it with the new situation, and although the time is short, many achievements have been achieved during it.
The negotiations [with Israel] do not think they have reached an impasse, but they are taking place with great difficulty because of Israel's insistence on a presence on Syrian territory.
The war that is currently being waged on Lebanon as well, there are many other solutions that can be done other than the direct targeting of buildings and infrastructure in Lebanon, especially Lebanon, which does not tolerate a conflict of this magnitude.
I think this poses a major threat to regional security and not just to Syria.
** Regarding the process of national integration and the unification of military forces, is there still a long way to go?
I think that as the situation in Syria was and what it was before we arrived in Damascus last year and after we arrived in Damascus, I think that during the past year we were able to achieve a great achievement in this regard, as the forces of the revolution were integrated at the beginning, which was different and divided.
Also, the SDF forces have been merged and things are going well, and on this day, the last foreign base in northeastern Syria came out and the mergers between the SDF forces and the Syrian state are taking place.
I believe that what has been achieved so far is a great achievement in favor of Syria and has greatly helped to stabilize the Syrian situation.
** In light of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent visit to Damascus, what are the prospects for cooperation between you?
There is a historic partnership between Syria and Ukraine in the field of food and energy, as Ukraine is one of the countries that has extensive experience in its agricultural production, agricultural pharmaceutical industry, and so on.
Syria is also a mainly agricultural country and needs a lot of skills and agricultural development, the main partnership is to try to establish a site in Syria to re-export basic commodities and food through our ports.
** What is your final message through Anadolu Agency?
I believe that Turkey contributes to the stability of the global and regional situation by taking the initiative of such conferences, Turkey has a very large role that has become regional and international, and the Syrian-Turkish partnership also builds a lot on it for the future of the security of the region and the entire world.
My message to the world is that Syria has turned from a state of crisis into a very great historical opportunity towards stability, reconstruction and reconstruction.