MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th September, 2018) Direct dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition will be possible when foreign states stop interfering in the Syrian opposition's affairs, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said.
"I can say that the opposition is not free to make decisions on its own, and the dialogue with the Syrian government is not based on its desire. The opposition says that it wants a direct dialogue, and we say that this is possible when foreign states stop their interference in the affairs of the opposition," Muallem told the International Affairs journal in an interview published on Monday.
He stressed that each separate opposition group was acting in accordance with the wishes of the "curator" foreign state.
"The problem is not the opposition itself, but its curators. There is no single opposition in Syria. There are different groups, and their activities depend on the place of residence of their leaders, in Western or Arab capitals. Therefore, each group acts on the basis of the wishes of that state," Muallem said.
The minister also said that the US goal was to control Syria in accordance with the interests of Israel.
"I want to say that US goals are not purely US goals, in fact, they are Israeli goals that the United States is implementing in Syria ... The US goal in Syria is to gain control over all future activities of Syria in accordance with the interests of Israel," Muallem said.
He stressed that one of the goals was to prevent Syria from having strategic relations with Russia.
"First, they [the US authorities] do not want Syria to be the main country of resistance to Israel. Second, they do not want Syria to have strategic relations with Iran and Russia. They want Syria to be like the rest of the region, that is, to become one of the tools of US foreign policy with the approval of Israel," Muallem noted.
Syria has been engulfed in an armed conflict since 2011. At the moment, the Syrian government forces continue military operations to clear the country from terrorists. The political resolution, rebuilding of the country and return of the refugees have come to the forefront in Syria.
