Russia to back newly elected president of Syria - Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society chairman
MOSCOW. June 3 (Interfax) - Russia will support a newly elected president of Syria, says Sergei Stepashin, the chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society.
"Russia has supported and will support an elected leader of Syria," Stepashin said at the 3rd conference of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society in Moscow on Tuesday.
Stepashin expressed the hope that the ongoing elections in Syria would help advance a peaceful settlement of the crisis in the country. "I am absolutely convinced that the Syrians, the people of an ancient culture, will make the right choice," he said.
Stepashin had visited Syria in spring 2014, during which he met with President Bashar al-Assad.
Speaking to Interfax following the visit, Stepashin said Assad was determined to complete the destruction of Syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons.
At the same time, Stepashin said he was worried that insurgents had not ceased attempts to take control of the port from which chemical weapons were being evacuated. "This is very dangerous and might hinder the chemical evacuation," he said.
Stepashin then also spoke categorically against possible Western military intervention in the situation in Syria.
