Syria’s post-war reconstruction will be carried out by the country’s own efforts, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said in an interview with Itogi Nedeli (Weekly Results) program on NTV Television Channel on Sunday.
“Despite that the war is underway now, we have enough means to restore the country, we are sure about that,” Assad said.
“[If] we have no money, we will borrow from our friends, the Syrians who live abroad, and from our treasury. We do not worry about that,” Assad stressed, noting that the reconstruction may take more time than expected.
According to Assad, many European companies plan to earn money on Syria’s post-war reconstruction, which may cost at least $400 bln. “When European countries speak about assistance in Syria’s reconstruction, they think about how to earn money rather than how to help Syria,” he said. “Many European companies contact with us and try to open the door to Syria for their investments”.
Constitutional reform
A constitutional reform in Syria depends solely on the choice of the Syrian people, Assad said.
“Any constitutional reform has nothing to do with the government. It is a matter of the Syrian people. If we want any changes, a nationwide referendum is needed. If people support a new constitution in a plebiscite, we will adopt it,” he said, adding that it would happen “not because the United Nations or a foreign state want it,” but only when the Syrian people takes this decision.
Syria’s current constitution was adopted in February 2012 to introduce a multiparty system.
Bashar Al-Assad, who scored 88% of the vote at Syria’s first multi-party elections in June 2014, took the first presidential office under the new constitution, although it was his third consecutive term.
The United States and the European Union refused to recognize those elections as legitimate and democratic.
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