Countries that "sow chaos" in Syria could suffer from it themselves, Syrian President Bashar Assad told a Russian television station in an interview aired on Wednesday.
"For the leaders of these countries, it's becoming clear that this is not 'Spring' but chaos, and as I have said, if you sow chaos in Syria you may be infected by it yourself, and they understand this perfectly well," Assad said, referring to the Arab Spring that toppled long-entrenched leaders in the Middle East.
Assad said Western sanctions are affecting Syria's economy but Damascus has a "wonderful relationship" with non-Western countries, according to state-run Rossiya-24's translation of his remarks he gave in the interview recorded on Tuesday in Syria.
Assad added he hoped France would change its policies in the Middle East and Arab world under President Francois Hollande, warning against "inciting chaos and crisis".
"I hope the new president will think about the interests of France," Assad told Russia's television. "I am certain that they do not lie in further inciting chaos and crisis in the Middle East and the whole Arab world."
Earlier in the day, Assad issued a decree including
the names of the elected members for the new People’s Assembly.
REUTERS/LBCI