Mikdad: Syria Faced Conspiracy with More Openness to People’s Demands… Reform Measures Became Facts

Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad on Tuesday said that during the last three months, Syria has passed through difficult days during which it paid a precious price of its security and stability through an unfamiliar ordeal.

“That situation led to a state of disorder at the hands of armed extremist groups who exploited popular protests to carry out acts of killing, terrifying citizens and sabotaging private and public properties which claimed the lives of martyrs whether from the citizens or from security and police men,” Mikdad delivered Syria speech at the 38th meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference’s Member States in Astana.

“We don’t believe that Syria has passed through a stage without encountering conspiracies, some of which are linked to the important political geographic location of Syria and others to the regional and international developments…. Syria has never abandoned the rights and security of its people,” Mikdad underlined.

He added that sooner or later, facts will uncover the conspiracy against Syria… the foreign political stances, particularly of some western countries that had a history of colonialism and violations of human rights, have sought to control the region through pressures and interference in the internal affairs.

Mikdad appreciated the OIC member states for their solidarity with Syria to face challenges imposed by the latest developments, and in confronting the acts of killing at the hands of the armed terrorist groups against innocent civilians.

“The latest events in Syria would not be considered, as some western sides depict as peaceful demonstrations, but the massacres perpetrated by the armed organizations were a heinous exploitation for the principle of expression and the peaceful protest,” Mikdad said.

Mikdad added that the truth cannot be hidden which is exploiting peaceful demonstrations by armed terrorist groups to carry weapons and kill innocent citizens.

Armed groups also target security forces and execute sabotage acts and set fire to government and official headquarters, Mikdad said.

Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister said, “What we have to make clear at this meeting is that the armed groups are mutilating bodies and slaughtering scores of law-enforcement members as the number of martyrs reached 300 and more than 2500 wounded”.

He pointed out that the West has used phrases, in its campaign against Syria, that support extremism and convey an aspiration to go back to the occupation era, saying that affects the credibility of specific countries which are exploiting the status quo in the region.

He said that those countries are preventing the Palestinians from going the UN to assert their historical right to establish their independent state.

Mikdad added that Syria has faced this conspiracy with more openness to its people and the measures made have become facts on ground including lifting the state of emergency, issuing draft laws for parties, local administration and elections as well as President Bashar al-Assad’s call for a comprehensive national dialogue on July 10th.

He said that the conference would reflect the Syrians’ commitment to their rights, national unity and rejection of all forms of foreign interference, adding that millions of Syrians have expressed their support to President Bashar al-Assad and his reform program.

He reiterated that Syria will support the Palestinian people to liberate their territories and restore their legitimate right to return.

He said, “The Palestinian Cause is ours and the continued Israeli hostilities against the Palestinian people constitute a crime against humanity.

Mikdad added that Syria is looking forward to brotherly Islamic countries to boost solidarity with the Syrian people to liberate the occupied Syrian Golan and force Israel to free more than 20 Syrian prisoners and thousands of Palestinian prisoners.

Earlier President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev delivered the opening speech of the conference and talked about the necessity of enhancing development and cooperation among member countries.

The ministerial conference adopted a new title for the Organization of Islamic Conference to become the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.