© Sputnik/ Alexei Druzhinin
Riad Haddad, Syria's Ambassador to Russia, has commented on the snap visit of President Assad to Moscow, calling it a "zenith" of the strategic relationship between the two countries, and adding that the talks between their respective presidents haven't stopped since the very start of the crisis in Syria. President Bashar
Assad's snap visit to Russia shouldn't surprise anyone, as the working relationship between the two leaders has never stopped since the very start of the crisis in Syria, the country's Ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad, told Sputnik Arabic.
"The current trip could be regarded as a zenith of the strategic bilateral relationship between the two," the diplomat said.
Notably, he added that the visit came amid a very difficult war, which has been raging in the country for over four years already. The visit is basically aimed at allowing to clarify the means of combating terrorism: by stamping it out and preventing its further spread in Syria and throughout the whole region of the Middle East.
The message of the visit was quite simple, the diplomat said: the recently established anti-terrorist coalition uniting Russia, Syria and potentially other parties is aimed at
fighting terrorism with maximum accuracy and efficiency, and at preventing further terrorist attacks. For that purpose, the coalition will use airstrikes in alliance with the Syrian army, which, in turn, is successfully pursuing its ground operations.
This, in turn, should permit seeking a political settlement to the conflict; such a settlement is impossible without the total elimination of terrorism. The fight against terrorism has become a priority at the international arena both for the coalition and for Syria, which has been battling it from the very start. President Putin, in turn, wanted to demonstrate Russia's dedication to joining its ally Syria in the fight against terrorism.
Comment: The balance of power is indeed changing, with Russia and China forming an alternative world order through the SCO, Eurasian Economic Union, and BRICS. This also is a harbinger of more difficulties for Saudi Arabia which is struggling with a record budget deficit and unexpected expenditures in its bombing campaign in Yemen and arming of Syrian terrorists.