Syria’s Deputy Premier, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem stressed that Syria welcomes any Arab initiative aimed at solving the crisis in the country.

Syria’s Deputy Premier, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem stressed that Syria welcomes any Arab initiative aimed at solving the crisis in the country.

“We open our hands to every Arab initiative. We say hello to those who knock on our door as we seek to stop the bloodshed,” said al-Moallem in an interview with the Egyptian al-Nahar TV channel.

Asked about Syria’s relations with Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement, he said “some are worried about our relationship with Iran and Hezbollah because of our unified stance towards Israel.”

He described Syria’s relations with Iran, Russia and China as ones of mutual respect, adding however that it was the Arabs who quit their role towards Syria.

Al-Moallem slammed the silence, in some cases, and conspiratorial role, in others, of most of the Arabs in relation to Syria “at a time when Iran rushed for our help.”

Answering a question about the deterioration of Syria’s relations with Egypt and Saudi Arabia in particular, al-Moallem said this question should be directed to the Egyptian and Saudi sides because it was them who walked out on Syria, whereas Syria has always been defending the Arab issues.