Contact between Russian representatives and foreign opposition leaders aims to help conflicting sides find a mutually acceptable compromise. The Syrian institutes of power that were created several decades ago do not meet modern standards of democracy and efficiency. Unfortunately, there are no conflict and crisis settlement and prevention mechanisms in the Middle East.
Valdaiclub.com
interview with Andrei Baklanov, head of the Federation Council’s foreign affairs department and deputy chairman of the board of the Russian Diplomats Association
What is your assessment of the current situation in Syria? Are the media dramatizing it?
I think the situation there will become more complicated. President Bashar Assad has chosen a bad strategy – he is proposing reforms not in a proactive manner, but in response to growing pressure from the opposition.
I think the incumbent President should try to reverse the situation by taking initiative and moving to radical reform, thereby taking the opposition by surprise by its scale and courage.
We have not seen this so far. Personally, I was disappointed by his last address, on June 20, which everyone had been waiting for with great interest.
On the one hand, he outlined key areas of reform – adoption of a new constitution, holding parliamentary elections, and broad dialogue with all segments of the population. This is definitely positive.
On the other hand, that policy statement was not accompanied by any concrete proposals that would be understandable by the people, which is exactly what people are waiting for.
This is a deep and systemic crisis. The Syrian institutes of power that were created several decades ago do not meet modern standards of democracy and efficiency. It will require large-scale action to remedy the situation.
Unless the Syrian authorities review their policies, the consequences for the regime, the country and the region could be very grave.
The UN Security Council is discussing a possible resolution on Syria. Why is Russia so firmly opposed to it? Could it change its stance?
Russia’s attitude is primarily based on a negative assessment of the West's implementation of the Security Council resolution on Libya. We don’t want the international community to continue using the scheme that has been applied to Libya.
How would you evaluate Russia's economic relations with Damascus? Is it possible that Russia’s protection of Syria is based on these relations?
Syria is an old and very important economic partner of Russia in the Middle East. But I believe that in determining its stance on Syria, Russia will rely mostly on other factors, above all its interest in maintaining regional peace and stability. Our priority is international and regional security.
Russia’s only naval base in the Mediterranean is located in Syria. What will happen if the current Syrian regime falls?
I believe that our presence, in whatever form, should be based on the conjunction of interests with the given region’s countries.
The Russian Navy is becoming a major stabilizing force in a number of regions, in terms of combating pirates, for example, and other challenges and threats. Providing assistance to it is objectively the duty for everyone who advocates stronger security regimes and freedom of navigation and trade. I therefore believe that cooperation in this area with respect to Syria will be maintained whatever turn events may take.
On June 27, a delegation of Syrian opposition leaders will come to Moscow where they will meet with Mikhail Margelov, the President’s special envoy to Africa. What effect could this visit have on settling the political situation in Syria?
I think that contact between Russian representatives and foreign opposition leaders aims to help conflicting sides find a mutually acceptable compromise.
However, the Russian and Syrian authorities believe that a clear line must be drawn between the citizens’ legitimate demands to the government and destabilizing extremist and criminal actions.
Here is what I’d like to say about the Russian representatives’ efforts in the Middle East: I am deeply satisfied that the role of Russian diplomacy in the region has been growing. A vivid example is the shuttle diplomacy of Mikhail Margelov, the President’s special envoy to Africa. His efforts have won broad international recognition and have produced a positive effect internationally.
Unfortunately, it must be said that there are no conflict and crisis settlement and prevention mechanisms in the Middle East.
In connection with this, I’d like to say that during the meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Malta in December 2010 I suggested resuming operation of the working group on Middle East security, which was set up in Moscow in January 1992 as part of multilateral peace talks. Many foreign delegates supported my idea.
In the next few days I plan to meet with Mikhail Bogdanov, the newly appointed Deputy Foreign Minister who is responsible for the Foreign Ministry’s Middle Eastern policy. I will remind him about that proposal. I am sure that countries in that region should have a mechanism for the provision of good services for defusing conflicts and crises such as the one in Syria.
