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Foreign Ministry: Preserving Syrian statehood is principally important for Russia

Moscow's position on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has not changed

MOSCOW, November 5. /TASS/. Russia’s position on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Syria settlement has not changed and some media reports to the opposite effect aim to bring discord and confusion, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"This is not the first time [such media reports appear]. Moreover, such statements are not based on anything at all. We have grown accustomed to this and, therefore, there is sense in dismissing them," the diplomat said in reply to a TASS question.

"Those journalists and experts who are dealing seriously with the Syrian settlement and people in the street know that our position is clearly expressed," she added.

"The talk is not about whether we support or we don’t support Assad. This talk is not about personal support but what matters is that this is not the business of Russia or some other state to decide who must be the president. This is the matter of the Syrian people," the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

"Preserving Syrian statehood is a principally important issue for us. This statehood is the guarantee of the struggle against terrorism in the country and in the region as a whole," Zakharova said.

It is the Syrian army that is the force that is confronting the Islamic State terrorist organization on the ground, the spokeswoman said.

"A new change of power in the region will not bring about anything positive but will be an additional element to the chaos, which has already spread to some adjacent countries," the spokeswoman said.

"This is our basic position and we are confirming it again and again. There can be no talk about any changes," Zakharova said.

‘We are considering this [media reports on the alleged change of Russia’s Syria position] as the desire to cause confusion, discord, including among Syrians, and bring about unnecessary chaos," Zakharova said.