Syrian Political Settlement Needs Russian Participation – German FM

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Political settlement of the crisis in Syria is possible only with Russian participation in the process, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Sunday.

"Russia tries to compensate insufficient economic power with military influence, as for example in Syria. If we want to reach a political settlement of the Syrian conflict, that would not be possible without Russia," Maas told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

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The minister added that the Syrian constitutional committee was being formed now.

According to Maas, Syrian refugees, who want to return to their homeland, may face "repressions and torture" in Syria.

"Until the situation changes, no one will want to return to the home country. And we will also send nobody [to Syria], who may face such threats," Maas added.

Syria has been in a state of conflict since 2011 with numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations unsuccessfully fighting the Syrian Army to topple the government of President Bashar Assad.

After regaining most of the territories seized by terrorists, the Syrian government is now focused on creating favorable conditions for repatriating refugees. Moscow is assisting Damascus in this process, along with providing humanitarian aid to civilians and being a guarantor of the ceasefire.