Deputy Prime Minister of Syria: Peace will come to the country in 2015
The visit to Moscow of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Syrian Government for Economic Affairs Qadri Jamil has ended. In the current Syrian government, he represents the Popular Front for Liberation and Change, which is part of the internal opposition. Before leaving Moscow, Kadri Jamil gave an interview to the Voice of Russia.
- Please tell us about the results of your visit to Moscow. And by the way, please specify what was the status of your visit - state or party? So you represented the government or the opposition?
- The Syrian government did not authorize me to discuss any specific issues, I am not responsible in the government for the political component. In government, my area of responsibility is economic issues. So this visit was purely a party visit, I was here as a representative of the Popular Front.
- Nevertheless, could you briefly describe the current situation in the Syrian economy?
- The economic situation in a country directly depends on the security situation. It is impossible to solve economic problems without resolving acute political issues and, of course, without solving problems in the security sphere. We need stability. It is also necessary to solve the problem of international economic sanctions. All these factors together have an extremely negative effect on the situation in the economy. The real situation is very difficult, the influence of the external factor is also very great. A way out of the impasse is possible only through the search for a political solution through dialogue.
In this sense, the main hopes are associated with the convening of the second Geneva conference on Syria. Now there is confidence that this conference will nevertheless be called. Both international and regional players are already aware that it is impossible to solve the Syrian problem by military means; a way out is possible only through negotiations.
- This is, as I understand it, the point of view of the "internal" Syrian opposition. Meanwhile, the external opposition in the person of the Syrian National Council has already refused to participate in the Geneva conference. What is the current relationship between the internal and external opposition, do you have points of contact?
- There is a relationship between the internal and external opposition, but as regards the points of contact, everything is more complicated. The external opposition is oriented towards a number of external players, while the internal opposition is oriented towards its supporters inside the country. External players set certain tasks for their partners from the external opposition that correspond to their interests, but are completely unrealizable inside Syria under the current conditions. Our position is based on an analysis of the situation within the country. Therefore, the points of contact between us are very few. In addition, the external opposition, as you correctly noted, is essentially divided in views regarding participation in the Geneva conference.
- Is it possible to convene the Geneva Conference without the participation of certain representatives of the external opposition?
- Convocation of the Geneva Conference is a settled issue, international forces agree on the need to convene it. As it was announced, the doors of the conference will be open to everyone who is not indifferent to the fate of Syria. Those who refuse to participate will find themselves on the sidelines of the new political reality and doomed themselves to defeat and isolation. "Geneva-2" should first of all prohibit the export of mercenaries, weapons and money to Syria, that is, to close the borders for them. If this happens, then we can say that the situation in Syria is beginning to normalize. This is the duty of the international community.
- There is a lot of data about how many people left Syria during the war years, do you know the exact number, can we talk about millions of people?
- No, these numbers are overstated. There are about five million internally displaced persons left inside Syria. Those people who left their homes and are in the border regions of Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, I think, no more than two million.
- Do you agree that there is really a humanitarian catastrophe in Syria?
- In some areas we can talk about a humanitarian catastrophe. The country needs, first of all, flour, sugar, rice and medicine. Syria is helped by the country's real friends - Russia, Iran, China.
- The disarmament process is underway in Syria, it is very expensive, the country itself cannot cope financially with this issue. Which countries have already expressed a desire to help Damascus?
- Russia has declared its readiness to help in this matter. I think the international community should take a serious part in this. Because it costs a lot, the situation in Syria is difficult. To date, UN experts on the prohibition of chemical weapons have carried out inspections at half of the facilities in Syria, and the process of destruction of chemical weapons has begun. I think this work should be completed by the middle of next year.
- Are some opposition representatives deliberately disrupting this process?
- Some opposition representatives do not want to stop the violence in Syria at all, so they are trying to find various reasons to disrupt the political process, including this one.
- What are your expectations regarding the future of Syria, when can we expect the end of the conflict?
- I think that within the next year we will be able to get out of the crisis and begin the rise of Syria from the ruins.
- So you expect the Syrians to celebrate 2015 in the world?
- Yes. It should be like this.
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