The international community should assist Syria in holding presidential elections this year, First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said at a briefing on Wednesday.
"We should all assist in the organization of these elections, this is our position," Polyanskiy said and noted that Syria "has a full right" to hold them and "there are no provisions that could prevent this."
The Deputy Representative of the Russian Federation explained that the presidential election and the elaboration of a new constitution are different processes, and therefore there is no reason to recognize them as illegitimate. "We have heard the plans of some Western countries which from the very beginning said that they would not recognize the elections and that they were illegitimate. Of course, it is their right to do so, but we think there is no reason for such a position," the diplomat summarized.
In September, then Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said at a joint press conference in Damascus with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Syria's presidential elections would be held in accordance with the current constitution in 2021 and would be free and transparent.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Zuma \ TASS
Based on materials from TASS