THE SON OF HAFEZ ASSAD, BASHAR,

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THE SON OF HAFEZ ASSAD, BASHAR, SHOULD GET ORIENTATED RIGHTLY, THINKS THE

DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF ORIENTAL STUDIES OF THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL ACADEMY

OF SCIENCES

13.06.2000 16.23

13.06.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. "Hafez Assad, being a far-sighted politician, gave great importance

to the fact of who will take the post of the president of Syria, and after long thoughts he came to the

conclusion that in that high state post a representative of the family of Assads must take his place", said

in the interview to MEDIAMAX the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of

Sciences of Armenia, Nikolai Hovanesian.

According to Hovanesian, Assad first counted on his brother Rifat, then he considered as his successor

his elder son. However, in the first case there aroused serious disagreements between the two brothers,

and in the second, his elder son died in a car accident, and so the choice was stopped on his younger son

Bashar.

"I think that this choice is justified, however it is not enough just to be the son of Assad, much depends on

what position the military and the multi-religious community of sunnites will take, considering that the

family of Assads belongs to the ethnic group of alavits", stressed Nikolai Hovanesian.

"In the present Bashar Assad should get a correct orientation in the formed situation and regulate the

contacts with the military, sunnite religious community, national minorities and the countries of the region.

Only in this case Bashar will succeed in substituting his father", stressed Nikolai Hovanesian. -0-