DAMASCUS, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Tuesday that the U.S. new sanctions against Syria aim to affect the next presidential elections in Syria.
At a press conference, al-Moallem said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will remain in power as long as the Syrian people want that.
He stressed that the new tightened U.S. sanctions on Syria aim to affect and overshadow the presidential elections that will take place in 2021.
Additionally, al-Moallem said the new sanctions aim to open the road for the return of terrorism to Syria, stressing the Syrian government will continue to fight against terrorism.
Al-Moallem said the new round of sanctions by the U.S. "will not be less vicious than its predecessors." Syria is used to deal with the unilateral sanctions that have been imposed since 1978 all the way till the new Caesar Act.
He said dealing with the Caesar Act will not be impossible, adding that the Syrian government is working to secure the needs of the people and enhance the livelihood of the Syrians.
"We must make the Caesar Act an opportunity to advance our national economy, achieve self-sufficiency, deepen cooperation with friends and allies in various fields, and our fight against terrorism will not stop," al-Moallem said.
He said that the Syrian government has already started taking steps to face the sanctions through contacting "friendly countries."
The U.S. Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act aims to sanction the Syrian government, including President al-Assad, for its alleged "war crimes" against the Syrian people.
The law also includes sanctions on any party that might aid the Syrian government.
