The process of transforming the geopolitical map of the Middle East is under way, and various outside players are seeking to secure their geopolitical footing.

The process of transforming the geopolitical map of the Middle East is under way, and various outside players are seeking to secure their geopolitical footing, Russia Today quoted Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying.

The opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad – both inside Syria and out – are attempting to turn him into a bogeyman, but this is just part of a "great geopolitical game," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Tuesday.

Many outside forces "have Iran, rather than Syria on their minds," Lavrov noted.

Although the minister did not say as much, the comment seemed to be a direct reference to the Zionist entity and the United States that are throwing their hefty support behind the Syrian rebel opposition, the website said.

Amid the mounting tensions in Syria, the Zionist Prime Minister appeared before the UN General Assembly pushing for war on Iran, compounded by real war in Syria.

In light of these developments, Lavrov reiterated Moscow's stance that any changes in Syria should reflect the wishes of the people.

Lavrov stressed that "Bashar al-Assad is the guarantor of security for national minorities, among them Christians, who have been living in Syria for many centuries."

The Foreign Minister noted that even Russia’s western partners, who take every opportunity to blame the Syrian President for the problems in the embattled country, admit in confidence that al-Assad still enjoys the support of at least one-third of the population.

The reason, according to Lavrov, is simple: Bashar al-Assad is the one individual who can prevent Syria from collapsing into an unrecognizable place where “minorities will simply be unable to live and exist," he said.

Lavrov condemned western leaders for failing to abide by the Geneva Communiqué and consolidate the Syrian opposition into a legitimate political group that can sit down at the negotiating table.

The Russian Foreign Minister wrapped up his interview by expressing the hope that Lakhdar Brahimi, the new Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for the Syrian Crisis, will be successful in bringing the two warring sides together for negotiations.

He says Brahimi will be in Moscow next weeks for consultations