Russia is interested in maintaining its presence in Syria with the consent of the legitimate authorities of the Arab Republic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said speaking at the XVI Annual meeting of the Valdai club in Sochi today.
"Yes, we are interested in maintaining our presence in Syria; this is Tartus logistics hub and Hmeimim Air Base. But, first, it's done with the full consent of the absolutely legitimate authorities of the UN member state. Secondly, we will use this presence only for the purposes I mentioned. There are no attempts to impose something or force someone to act according to our recipe", - the Russian Foreign Minister stressed, in particular.
The XVI Annual meeting of the Valdai international discussion club is held from September 30 to October 3 in Sochi. This year's topic is "The dawn of the East and the world political order".
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: МИД РФ