Putin says a new Syrian constitution should guarantee all groups' rights

Record ID: 1436530

  • Title: Putin says a new Syrian constitution should guarantee all groups' rights
  • Date: 13th October 2019
  • Summary: SOCHI, RUSSIA (RELEASED ON OCTOBER 13, 2019) (RUSSIAN POOL) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SPEAKING DURING INTERVIEW WITH RT, SKYNEWS AND AL ARABIYA JOURNALISTS SKY NEWS ARABIA JOURNALIST, MOHANNAD KHATIB, LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: (BEGINS ON PREVIOUS SHOT, PART OVERLAID WITH SHOT OF INTERVIEW IN PROGRESS) "Everyone who is illegitimately on the territory of any state, in this case the Syrian Arab Republic, must leave this territory. This applies to all states. And if the future legitimate Syrian government that Russian military presence is no longer needed - this concerns the Russian Federation also. Naturally." PUTIN SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: (PART OVERLAID WITH SHOTS OF JOURNALISTS LISTENING) "The first stage (of the Syrian crisis resolution) is to work on the main law of the state, the constitution. (It should be) amendments to the constitution, or a new constitution. But without doubt, the interests of all ethnic and religious groups must be secured. People must understand that they live in their own country. And they are well protected by their state and its law." INTERVIEW IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 27th October 2019 12:45
  • Keywords: Syria constitution Putin Assad Syrian conflict Middle East
  • Location: SOCHI, RUSSIA
  • City: SOCHI, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B0XK8CN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In an interview with Arab broadcasters ahead of his first visit to Saudi Arabia in over a decade, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that any new constitution that is drawn up for Syria should guarantee the rights of all ethnic and religions groups.
    Speaking to journalists from RT, Sky News and the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV, Putin said that Syrians "interact positively" with Russian military police and military stationed in the country and that most military police in Syria are Muslims drawn from Russia's north Caucasus region.
    Russia has been a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his war with rebels and militants.
    The Russian president is due to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday (October 14) and then heads to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday (October 15).
    (Production: Anton Derbenev)
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