Al-Halqi: Dialogue is the way to stop bloodshed

Prime Minister Dr. Wael al-Halqi stressed that internal dialogue in Syria is the main way to reach a political solution and stop bloodshed and the destruction of infrastructure. Attending the first meeting of the 4th regular session of the People's Assembly, al-Halqi said that the government's project is clear, as it wants a pluralistic, democratic, free, sovereign and resistant country that isn't subservient to any side. He said that the government is continuing to hold meetings and consultations with political and social forces and parties in preparation for holding the national dialogue conference, and that the government welcomes the recent agreement reached by Russia and the US which entails organizing an international conference to follow up on the 2012 Geneva meeting. The Prime Minister asserted that the Syrian government will work responsibly with the countries sponsoring this conference and interact with any initiative for resolving the crisis that doesn't contradict national standards. Al-Halqi pointed out to the recent developments on the international and Arab arenas which showed the scale of coordination in targeting Syria and conspiring against it, with events like the chemical weapons issue, the Israeli aggression on areas in Syria, the bombings in al-Rihaniye in Turkey, and the meetings in Washington attended by the Arab League Secretary General and a number of Arab foreign Minister. He said these events show confusion among those conspiring against Syria and Palestine who seek to impose certain projects, noting that the 65th anniversary of al-Nakba (the forced displacement of Palestinian people by Israel) comes with a new Qatari project for "exchanging Palestinian territories" which serves Israel's interests, adding that no-one has the right to relinquish any part of the Golan, Palestine and South Lebanon. Al-Halqi said that some thought that with Syria away from the Arab League, certain sheikhdoms can decide the region's destiny, forgetting that Syria is at the forefront of the resistance and that it imposes its equation on the ground. He affirmed that the government is working to provide the citizens with the oil productions in spite of all challenges through raising the productive capacities of the petroleum wells and importing other oil materials as well as ensuring mobile stations for gas. On the Syrian pound, al-Halqi said that the price of the Syrian pound is relatively stable although all security, political and misleading media challenges which try to target the struggle of this national economy.   Later, Members of the People's Assembly presented their interpositions concentrating on the political, economic and service situation and the procedures by the government to ease the repercussions of the crisis that Syria passes through. The MPs called for establishing a Ministry for the families of the martyrs, wounded and the lost people following the example of the Ministry of National Reconciliation Affairs. Other MPs called for dealing with and controlling the price of the Syrian pound against the foreign currencies and funding the basic imports by the Central Bank of Syria. They also called for tackling the problem of random housing in Damascus and solving the problem of unemployment. In a statement during the session, Speaker of the People's Assembly Mohammad Jihad al-Laham said that the attempts of some Arab governments to consecrate and legitimize Al-Nakba (the forced displacement of Palestinians by Israel) with international collusion is a violation of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. He said that Al-Nakba is a mark of shame on humanity and a symbol of dehumanization, reiterating Syria's support for the Palestinian people in their efforts to reclaim their rights, while some Arab countries are too busy selling Palestine. Al-Lahham asserted that Syrians will continue to support the resistance until all occupied Arab lands are restored, including the occupied Syrian Golan, concluding by saluting the resistant people of the occupied Syrian Golan and the Palestinian people.