The crisis in Syria largely resulted from the Syrian government’s temptation to “change nothing” over the years, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated during his annual press conference on the outcomes of Russian diplomacy in 2024.
“Yes, events in Syria unfolded as both President [Vladimir Putin] and other representatives have discussed. They largely happened because, over the last decade—starting from the time the Syrian Arab Republic requested our military assistance, and from the creation of the Astana process with Turkey and Iran, which involved several Arab nations—the political process slowed down. There was perhaps a temptation to keep things unchanged,” Lavrov noted.
Lavrov emphasized that Russia had opposed this approach. “We consistently urged the Syrian leadership to reactivate the Constitutional Committee, which was established at Russia’s initiative. However, Damascus was not eager to see it operational,” he added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: anjči/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS