Assad vows to liberate Syria
Syria still holding up aid for besieged Daraya: UN
Damascus/ Geneva, June 7: Syrian President Bashar al- Assad hardened his position on UN-sponsored peace talks in his first address to the newly elected Parliament broadcast on state television on Tuesday.
“We will not agree to any topic outside the statement of principles we presented to the UN. We just won’t accept it,” Mr Assad told legislators.
The document submitted by the government delegation stresses that Syria will be ruled by a “unity government” — not a “transitional governing body” without Mr Assad as called for by the Opposition.
Mr Assad said he had received no response from the UN regarding this paper and that in the government’s eyes, “the negotiations have not actually started”.
He was addressing lawmakers for the first time since an April general election in governmentcontrolled areas that was dismissed internationally as a sham.
“The Syrian people surprised the world yet again with an unprecedented voter turnout... and an unprecedented number of candidates,” Mr Assad said.
“As we liberated Palmyra, so shall we liberate every inch of Syria... we have no choice but victory,” he said to
The document submitted by the government delegation stresses that Syria will be ruled by a ‘ unity government’ — not a ‘ transitional governing body’ without Mr Assad as called for by the Opposition
applause from legislators.
Syria’s conflict began in 2011 with protests calling for Mr Assad to step down, and several rounds of UN- backed peace talks have failed to bring an end to what has become a complex civil war.
In February, the United States and regime ally Russia brokered a ceasefire between government forces and non- jihadist rebels in an effort to bolster the peace negotiations.
The ceasefire has allowed Syria’s armed forces to focus on key fronts, Assad said, including the historic city of Palmyra — where regime forces backed by Russia defeated the Islamic State jihadist group in March.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said it is stillwaiting for Syrian government agreement for an aid convoy to enter the besieged town of Daraya, having received only partial approval which is “not good enough”.