MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. The war on terror should go hand in hand with the search for political solutions to crises, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Monday at the Sixth Conference of the Valdai Discussion Forum’s Middle East Dialogue.

According to him, the war on terror based on the ceasefire between the parties to the Syrian conflict, as well as setting up governing bodies that involve both the current authorities and the patriotic opposition, should go hand in hand. "The two processes cannot be separated from each other. They are not an alternative to each other but should be conducted simultaneously," he noted.

When speaking on the lessons of the "Arab spring" and the "color revolutions", Bogdanov pointed to the need to respect the constitution and abide by it. "When a group of people comes to a square and says that we want a regime change, this means they don’t respect the constitution and the principles of democracy because democracy stipulates a democratic change of power," the Russian diplomat explained. "It should be done through elections and referendums that provide the people with an opportunity to evaluate the efficiency of the government, the president and the parliament. This is what democracy is, it is not about taking to the streets."

"Of course, it is an indicator pointing to some problems and the need for the authorities to make decisions, particularly related to changing the constitution, because the constitution is not the Bible or the Quran, it is a live document that needs to be amended taking into account social sentiments," Bogdanov went on to say. "But this does not mean that anyone can neglect the constitution and demand that legitimately elected authorities step down before any elections are conducted, and use force to start a revolution or a coup."

"Weakening state power always gives rise to terrorism," the Russian diplomat stressed. "In such cases, internal disorder begins and foreign extremists and terrorists take advantage of the vacuum of power while any confrontation may lead to a civil war when parties to the conflict start searching for allies abroad, encouraging foreign interference in domestic affairs."