Syrian Foreign Minister Mekdad calls for ‘new world order’

Western powers wanted Syria to change Israel policy or face consequences, says Faysal Mekdad

A “new world order” that would be respected by all members of the United Nations was the need of the hour, said Syrian Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad on Friday.

Delivering a special address on the current situation in Syria at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in New Delhi, Mr. Mekdad said the government of President Bashar al-Assad had achieved a “resounding victory” against the Islamic State (IS) terrorists.

“The Arab Spring was expected to bring a result that was something that the Muslim Brotherhood wanted to introduce in our countries. At the United Nations where I served as Syrian ambassador for 11 years, the Western countries said that we should change our policy towards Israel or face the consequences,” said Mr. Mekdad revealing that the Assad government’s confrontationist policy towards Israel played a role behind the prolonged conflict in Syria. Arguing for a new world system, the Syrian Minister said illegal intervention in the sovereign affairs of developing countries should not be tolerated.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met Mr. Mekdad on Friday and assured him of “humanitarian support” including supply of medicines and artificial limbs to Syria.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met Mr. Mekdad on Friday and assured him of “humanitarian support”, including supply of medicines and artificial limbs to Syria.

Syria faced a public movement against the Assad government in 2011 which turned violent with the emergence of terror groups such as the Jabhat al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State which took over the movement and turned it into a terror campaign. These groups challenged the authority of the Arab nationalist government of Mr. Assad but could not dislodge the government from Damascus which retains administrative control over bulk of the Syrian territory. The war, however, had imposed great hardships on the Syrian government, said Mr. Mekdad citing the destruction of the health and energy infrastructure in the country.