Situation in Syria - struggle between major global players President of Belarus says

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has said that a confrontation is unfolding between key global players in Syria, and this could serve as a valuable lesson for Belarus.

The president made this statement while answering questions from employees of the Pozhsnab company in Barysaw, Caliber.Az reports via Belarussian media.

"It's such a mess that it seems like it's just the beginning, and the real fight for power will begin. In Syria, the main global players are engaged in a struggle. This is a lesson for us. We must determine our own fate. We must preserve our country!" the president said.

President Lukashenko emphasised that, at one point, Syria was turned into a testing ground for various global powers.

The president is confident that the new powers in Syria will not sever ties with Belarus and Russia and asserted that ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was not a dictator, as he lacked the necessary resources to be one.

Regarding the current events in Syria, Lukashenko sees Western involvement. 

"There is enough oil and gas in Syria. It is necessary to lay a pipeline through Syria to the Mediterranean coast. All this serves the interests of the West and the Americans. They play the main role there," said the president. 

On November 27, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against Syrian army positions in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces. By the evening of December 7, they had captured several major cities (Aleppo, Hama, Daraa, and Homs), and on December 8, they entered Damascus, with Syrian government forces withdrawing from the city. Syrian government leader Muhammad Ghazi al-Jalali expressed readiness for a peaceful transfer of power in the country. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Bashar al-Assad stepped down as president of Syria and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful handover of power.

By Naila Huseynova