Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won the presidential polls of June 3. His opponents in the West and the Middle East have called the elections a farce and rely on Assad being ousted.
Russian Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador Petr Stegny, deputy head of the Association of Russian Diplomats, emphasized that the elections proved the popularity of President Bashar al-Assad and his striving for peace. The diplomat noted that further development of peace talks in the context of the failed Geneva-2 Conference was hard to predict. Stegny noted that there had been a UNSC resolution that could help militants. He added that such formats as the Islamic Army were being created. The ambassador believes that the world is becoming convinced that there is no other way to resolve conflicts than via diplomatic talks. He added that the three-year civil war in Syria inspired such conclusions.
