The recent visit by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu to Syria sends a clear message to the whole world that the two countries are strong and they are fighting a joint battle against anyone who offends them, the foreign minister said in an interview given to national television.

Al-Mekdad described the relations between Damascus and Moscow as strategic and the joint coordination takes place constantly and at the highest level.

The head of diplomacy rejected the Western attempts to discredit the Syrian-Russian relations, and reaffirmed that Syria is a sovereign State that cannot be bartered as the media report.

According to Al-Mekdad, the NATO failed to comply with its commitments and its practices threaten the Russian national security.

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