Khaberni - Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Al-Sheibani, stated on Thursday that relations with the United States are progressing very well and will impact the entire region positively.
He added during a discussion session at Chatham House in London that the Syrian embassy in the United Kingdom has been reopened in London to serve the interests of the Syrians and will not return to being a base for intelligence.
He stated that there are very important files with Britain and we seek to take advantage of this historic opportunity to strengthen relations, as Syria is no longer a marginal country but important to all countries of the world.
"We must not miss the current opportunity for Syria and the Syrians, and we work around the clock to introduce the new Syria to the world," according to Al-Sheibani.
He continued, "In 11 months, we changed the world's view about Syria and removed the fears that existed."
He said that Syria is exhausted and going through a transitional phase, needing time to express itself, and aspires to become a country its citizens believe in and not be far from them.
He talked about working to provide a healthy political environment that lays the ground for everyone's participation, as Syria is a republic state relying on elections, and there will be presidential and parliamentary elections with the participation of all Syrians.
"We believe that the success of the Syrian experiment depends on coexistence, building trust, and rejecting the sectarianism that was sown by the defunct regime," according to Al-Sheibani.
He said that there is work on enhancing pluralism in the government, ministries, and community, and Syria has maintained a culture of institutions, working on amending the constitution and laws in a considered way.
Regarding the events in Sweida and the Coast, Al-Sheibani said they had different contexts and posed significant challenges to the government, noting that the events of the Coast were provoked by remnants of the regime, firmly stating the rejection of the violations committed.
Regarding the events in Sweida, he said they were due to social build-ups that turned into clashes triggered by Israel's intervention, and the government tried to control the security in the province.
"We work calmly to contain the Sweida crisis, but there are parties in the province that do not want a settlement, and we try to help Sweida on all levels, having delivered 70 aid convoys there," according to Al-Sheibani.
He stated that Israel is currently playing a negative role in Syria, dissatisfied with the changes that occurred, and continued its violations in Syrian territories, but we have not been drawn into provocation and tried to respond with diplomacy.
