MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Russian troops in Syria serve as a stabilizing force, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko said.

"Russian troops don’t carry out any military operations against other countries from Syrian territory. I would like to reiterate that all Middle Eastern nations have the sovereign right to decide whether they want to host foreign troops or not. I believe the presence of Russian troops in Syria contributes to stability," he pointed out at the Russia-Middle East Sixth International Scientific and Expert Forum, hosted by the Primakov Center for International Cooperation together with the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies.

"Does US military presence in the Gulf countries contribute to stability? That is a very big question at the moment. The developments of the past three months suggest that it doesn’t," the diplomat concluded.