Diplomat denies spread of Arab unrest to Syria

PanARMENIAN.Net - The extent of the superpowers’ involvement in Syria unrest is hard to be assessed, according to former Armenian Ambassador to Syria.

In a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, David Hovhannisyan denied the reports on the spread of Arab unrest to Syria.

The diplomat cited the global financial crisis as one of the reasons for Arab unrest. According to him, Syrian crackdown was mostly caused by the external forces, rather than Tunisia and Egypt events.

Commenting on the role of the superpowers in Syria unrest, the diplomat pointed out Russia and China among traditional partners of the country, which explains Moscow’s activity in Damascus -related issues.

“With a complicated regional situation, the superpowers are highly unsatisfied with Syria unrest. A revolution in the country will clearly result in a chaos, rendering it fully unpredictable.”

Hovhannisyan assessed Turkey's recent activity as an attempt to lead pro-Turkish Sunni Islamic forces to power. However, the diplomat believes Syrian authorities to be keeping a firm hold on power.

At least 2,200 people have been killed since the anti-government protests started in Syria in mid-March, according to the United Nations.

Syria's crackdown has infuriated world powers, some of which imposed sanctions on the regime, with fresh pressure piled on Syrian President Bashar Assad from neighbouring Turkey.