RUSSIA has no hidden agenda in Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

“Russia is consistently acting in the interests of peace in Syria, we have no hidden agenda in this country.

“We will continue to firmly pursue such approach for the benefit of the Syrian people and preservation of Syria as a sovereign unified state, regardless of whether we meet many or little like-minded people along the way,” Zakharova told a briefing.

The spokeswoman urged Russia’s partners in Syria to take more active approach in the fight against terrorists.

“We would like our partners to act more decisively, including on matters that directly concern – namely, international and regional security, terrorism and refugees,” Zakharova said.

NAN reports that the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War began in September 2015, after an official request by the Syrian government for military aid against rebel and jihadist groups.

The intervention initially consisted of air strikes fired by Russian aircraft stationed in the Khmeimim base at targets primarily in north-western Syria, against militant groups opposed to the Syrian government, including Syrian National Coalition, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), al-Nusra Front (al-Qaeda in the Levant) and the Army of Conquest.

Shortly after the operation began, Russian officials were cited as saying that, apart from fighting terrorist organisations such as ISIL, Russia′s goals included helping the Syrian government retake territory from various anti-government groups that are labelled by the U.S. and its coalition as ″moderate opposition″, a broader geopolitical objective being to roll back U.S. influence.

In his televised interview broadcast on Oct. 11, 2015, Russian president Vladimir Putin said the military operation had been thoroughly prepared in advance; he defined Russia′s goal in Syria as “stabilising the legitimate power in Syria and creating the conditions for political compromise”. (Sputnik/NAN)

– Aug. 30, 2018 @ 09:50 GMT |