In his speech to the Syrian people, during the swearing-in ceremony for a new term before the members of the People's Assembly, today, Saturday, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said that "the people who know well the path of freedom spare no effort to defend their rights."

He added, "Their aim was to divide the country, but the unity of the people was the fatal blow [to their plots]", stressing that "the Syrians inside their homeland are becoming increasingly challenging and strong."

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He also considered that the wide popular participation in the presidential elections is "evidence of the great national awareness," saying that "the enemies' bet was on people's fear of terrorism, but today, their bet is on turning the citizen into a mercenary." 

He emphasized that "the elections experience has proven that the people are the ones who give legitimacy to the state," stressing that "transparency is at the top of our priorities for the next stage, and it is the core of the administrative reform program."

President Al-Assad pointed out that "those who were manipulated to be a card played against their own homeland have turned into resources dedicated to the outside and completely under its control," noting that "national popular awareness is our fortress and the standard based on which we measure the extent of our ability and strength."

Apropos of the agents working under Turkish proxy in the Syrian territories, President Al-Assad said, "Some of them are working on suggestions for a constitution that puts Syria at the mercy of the foreigners," noting that " all the agents' plots have been shattered thanks to the steadfastness of the Syrian people."

Al-Assad: We Call on All Those Who Were Deceived to Return, because Your Homeland Is Your Refuge and Your Haven

He continued, "The biggest reason behind the crisis that we have experienced was the lack of values and morals," pointing out that "whoever loses his sense of belonging [to his country] can be up to no good…"

The Syrian President addressed all those who were deceived and lured into betting on the fall of Syria to return to it, reiterating: "We say to all those who were deceived that their enemies have exploited them and used them against their own country, yet the homeland remains your refuge and haven, and the Syrian people have a big heart and are forgiving."

Al-Assad stressed that "the next stage will witness the modernization of laws, the fight against corruption and the exposure of the corrupt, without looking back." He considered that "the world nowadays is a jungle witnessing the overthrow of countries, support for terrorism, and the taming of peoples through psychological warfare," considering that "the goal of modern wars is man per se, before the land, and he who wins man wins the war."

Al-Assad: Speaking of Arab Nationalism Is Not a Viewpoint; It's an Entire Fate

He said, "We will be defeated both psychologically and intellectually once we believe that our national affiliation is limited to the borderlines set by the occupier, and we will be defeated once we confuse Arab affiliation with Arabized governments. We will also be defeated once we believe that Arab nationalism is merely something made-up that certain parties adopted, which renders it no longer suitable for the requirements of our time."

He also reiterated his assertion that "[national] affiliation is too big to be limited to a religion, sect, interest, history or geography."

Moreover, the Syrian President considered that "speaking of Arab nationalism is not a viewpoint that we can agree or disagree with or a certain taste we might like or dislike; rather, it is a matter of fate."

Al-Assad addressed the Palestinian cause, saying, "The cause closest to us is the cause of Palestine, and our commitment to it stands strong and unwavering no matter what."

He also said, "We have set our sights on liberating the rest of our land from the terrorists and their Turkish and American sponsors," adding: "We have confidence in the role of our friends, such as Iran and Russia, whose standing with us played a big role in the liberation."

Al-Assad also stressed that "it is the duty of the state to support any resistance in Syria against the occupier," noting that "the credit goes to those who preserved the land and sacrificed themselves for its sake…"

Al-Assad: 3000 Factories Underway in Syria

On the economic situation in Syria, Al-Assad revealed that work is currently underway to build about 3,000 production factories in the country.

While he stressed that "the war and the blockade failed in stopping investment," he pointed out that "the other part of the problem has to do with willpower."

Al-Assad also revealed that "Syrian frozen funds in Lebanese banks are estimated between 40 and 60 billion dollars."

Moreover, he considered that easing the obstacles is necessary, "but it does not compensate for the increase in production, which is the basis for improving the living situation in Syria," pointing out that the main goal in the next stage is to increase production and it is up to the state to facilitate the process in different sectors.

He also maintained that "solving the electricity problem is a priority to all of us, as this is reflected on life and the environment of investment."

It is worth noting that Al-Assad took oath at a ceremony to which local and international political and media figures, in addition to representatives of accredited diplomatic missions in Damascus, were invited.

Al-Assad had won, on May 27, the Syrian presidential elections, where the Speaker of the People's Assembly of Syria Hammouda Sabbagh declared his victory after obtaining 95.1% of the overall votes.