"The most important lesson we have learned, but I suppose we knew it all along, is that the West is not honest. Western countries are dishonest. They are pursuing a policy far removed from the principles of international law and the United Nations. It is impossible to rely upon the West to solve any issue. The better friends you have, the quicker and with minimal losses a decision is reached. Therefore, every statesman should be able to choose friendly states that will stand by him during crises," Assad said on Sunday.
The Syrian president said he did not wish any other country to experience what Syria had to go through and stressed that any manifestation of fanaticism should be avoided.
"We had to endure inhumane suffering. However, we live in a world where there is no international law or morality in politics at present. Anything can happen anywhere on our planet. But what I want to say, based on our experience in Syria, is that, first of all, any manifestation of fanaticism, either religious, political, or obsession with any idea — is destructive for society. It is necessary to avoid fanaticism when building societies. It is the duty of the state, as well as the responsibility of all the existing elements of society and every citizen’s duty," Assad said.
He added that in a critical situation, any country should rely on the people living in it and any course of action to resolve a crisis should take into account people's customs and traditions.
"Another thing is, if this or any other crisis should happen in any country, the first thing any statesman should know is that the people are the country’s defenders. And when choosing a plan of action to resolve the crisis it is necessary that it meets the customs and traditions of the nation, its history and its essential aspirations. The solution cannot come from overseas. Friends can come to you from abroad to help, as it has happened today: from Russia and Iran. However, if there is no internal will and good relations between the people and the state, it is impossible to find a solution," Assad said.
Syria has been torn by a civil war since 2011, as the army has been fighting opposition groups and extremists operating in the country. The West has been vocal about wanting Assad to step down as the Syrian leader, a view not shared by Moscow and Tehran.
As a result of the war, 13.5 million Syrians have been left in need of humanitarian assistance, according to UN figures. Over 6.5 million are internally displaced, while 4.8 million have fled the country among hostilities.