MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday emphasised the importance of respecting Syria’s territorial integrity during a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The development comes as Israel launched strikes this month on Damascus and Sweida province of Syria, saying it was acting both in support of the Druze religious minority and to enforce its demands for a demilitarised southern Syria.
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa had vowed that those behind violence against the Druze minority would be held accountable after deadly clashes in their southern heartland, saying security responsibility would be returned to local authorities.
“We are keen on holding accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people, as they are under the protection and responsibility of the state,” Sharaa said in a televised address.
Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire after days of bloodshed that killed hundreds of people.
Putin “emphasised the importance of supporting the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Syria, said a Kremlin statement.
The Russian President said that the political stability in the country must be achieved through respect for “all ethnic and religious groups’ interests”.
Russia, a close ally of Syria’s former ruler Bashar al-Assad, still keeps two military bases in the country.
During the call, Putin also conveyed Moscow’s willingness to engage in efforts to seek a negotiated resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue.
“In light of the recent escalation in the Iranian-Israeli confrontation, Russia has expressed its readiness to assist in every possible way to facilitate a diplomatic solution concerning Iran’s nuclear programme,” the Kremlin’s press service said.
