Damascus-SANA
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants and the Russian Embassy in Damascus, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, held a symposium on a book entitled (Syria: The Difficult Path from War to Peace) by Maria Khodinskaya Golenisheva, Principal Adviser to the Department of Foreign Policy Planning in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, at Al-Assad Library in Damascus.
The book, recently issued by the Syrian General Authority, combines historical presentation and political analysis of the events of the terrorist war against Syria since its outbreak, passing through its various stations on the ground, politically and in the media, and its translation into Arabic, translated by Ayad Eid. Political and partisanship in Syria during the years 2000 and 2010 and its position in the regional security map.
The importance of the book lies in the fact that its author Khodinskaya lived and experienced an important part of the events of the war on Syria, especially in the diplomatic aspect through her work with her country's mission at the United Nations Office in Geneva.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in the caretaker government, Dr. Faisal Miqdad, praised Russia’s political and diplomatic stances in support of Syria, as well as its support for the Syrian people and army in its war against terrorism at a time when some countries were supporting terrorism, killing and the continuation of the war on the Syrian people, expressing his appreciation for Khodinskaya’s efforts and her representation of her country’s positions through her defense of Syria.
The Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation, the Russian Ambassador in Damascus, Alexander Yefimov, said that for a long time, we have become strategic partners, allies and family, and we have a common vision, and what unites us is our common struggle against terrorism to spread peace and stability, pointing to the importance of Khodinskaya's book because it contains facts, especially with a lot of misinformation about the situation in Syria. And the war that the country is witnessing, indicating that the writer was a witness and a participant in the developments of events through her presence on the diplomatic battlefield in Geneva, as well as in some field battles in Syria.
In her intervention, the Special Adviser to the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Buthaina Shaaban, said that today, after the military war, we are facing a war over truth, and the Western media is accustomed to distorting facts in its favour. Therefore, the war that we are all fighting today is a very important war to show the truth to the world and to change its positions, considering that the war on Syria showed the truth. Western media is not free or neutral media.
Shaaban added: As a Syrian citizen, there is no difference for me between the Turkish and American role, and all that is said about the differences between them is misleading the world public opinion, while they represent the same agenda. The Syrian people are as concerned about the issue of the Turkish occupation as they are about the Israeli or American occupation.
In turn, Khodinskaya considered that the occupation of part of the Syrian territory is illegal or legitimate, and that Russia is watching Turkey's movements in Syria and Libya, but it realizes the importance of dialogue with it as a regional player in order to reach a settlement of the outstanding issues with respect to Syria.
Dr. Thaer Zain Al-Din, Director of the Book Authority, considered in a speech that the most important feature of the book, which is the fourth by the author on Syria, is that he looks at the Syrian issue as a point at which global interests clashed and a mirror that reflected the rejection of a number of countries of the unipolar system that prevailed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the growing role of states Regional leaders in resolving emerging crises and increasing their ability to defend their interests vigorously.
In a statement to reporters, Al-Miqdad indicated that the lecture was an attempt to clarify what was happening in the political circles regarding Syria and it showed the strength of the Syrian-Russian relations and the smear campaigns carried out by Western countries against Syria, stressing the continuous quest to convey the fact that what the country is facing is a real terrorist war supported by countries claiming to be democracy and help the Syrian people, but in fact it supports terrorism and imposes siege and starvation on the Syrians.
Miqdad indicated that the book is a new evidence that shows the facts related to the war on Syria launched by the Western and Israeli circles and whose objectives are exposed, stressing that the Syrian people will triumph over these attempts because they believe in their leadership, their army and the justice of their cause.
The book stops in its chapters to present the components of the anti-Syrian front in the war from foreign supported political entities and armed terrorist organizations, the role of regional countries and the United States in supporting and financing the terrorist war, and the contradictions in the Russian and American positions regarding the war and political endeavors to stop it, whether from regional and international organizations, with a large space allocated to the Russian role In this regard and the initiatives sponsored by it, such as Astana and others.
The book concludes its chapters by talking about the development of the Russian political and military line in the Syrian settlement, which, according to the author, helped in establishing the system of contemporary international relations, to then address the Syrian-Russian relations and Russia's strategy to restore its positions on the international scene.
The translator of the book, Eng. Ayyad Eid, explained to SANA that Khodinskaya relied in preparing the book on a neutral and objective method, during which she conveyed to us her observations and her opinion of the war on Syria, regardless of the opinion of the Russian diplomatic establishment in it, benefiting from her field work and her observation of many details and her many meetings with Syrian and Arab politicians And foreigners and internationalists, in addition to the leaders of armed terrorist organizations, which showed them the extent of Western support provided to these organizations and the compliance of international organizations to the American vision of war.
