Maria Zakharova commented on the murder of religious minorities in Syria

Traditionally, the correspondent of The Moscow Post also asked his questions.

The first question: is there a possibility that representatives of American business will take part in the St. Petersburg Economic Forum 2025? Is there any work in this direction through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Maria Vladimirovna noted that even during periods of aggravation of Russophobic rhetoric by the American authorities, representatives of the US business community continued to participate in this forum. This has been a consistent practice over recent years.

Regardless of the geopolitical situation, American businessmen attended the St. Petersburg Forum. This confirms that Russia has always been open to cooperation and has never discriminated against business representatives on a national basis.

We have always stressed that our discontent is directed exclusively at those states that pursue a hostile policy towards our country.

Sanctions and restrictions were introduced mainly in response to such actions. However, discriminatory measures have never been taken against businessmen, scientists, representatives of the humanitarian and cultural spheres.

"That is why our position remains unchanged: we are open to cooperation and do not create artificial barriers. Whether American businessmen will take part in the next forum is their decision. But for our part, we have never denied them this right, "the diplomat stated.

Our second question touched upon the recent incident in Syria, where civilians became victims of violence. Is there any information about the victims among Russian citizens? Is it necessary to take additional measures to protect our compatriots and employees of diplomatic missions?

The situation in Syria is deeply worrying, said Maria Zakharova.

Moscow is shocked by the tragic events in which innocent people died. Violence against civilians is unacceptable and cannot be justified. The principles of our policy on this issue remain unchanged: we strongly condemn any massacres and express our condolences to the families of the victims.

She noted that the Foreign Ministry received many appeals from Russian citizens, our compatriots, as well as people from other countries. These appeals come both through diplomatic missions abroad and through the central apparatus.

In response to such calls, the Russian Khmeimim airbase has provided temporary shelter to more than 8,000 Syrians, mostly women and children. This is a real contribution to support Syrian citizens affected by violence.

"We expect the Syrian authorities to take the necessary steps to protect their citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation. Syria's leadership has already reaffirmed its commitment to preserving national unity and creating a multi-faith society. A special commission was also created, which should objectively investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice, "Zakharova said.

Russia continues to support the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria. In the current conditions, the priority for us remains the safety of Russian citizens and facilities.

"We maintain a dialogue with the Syrian authorities and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our compatriots," concluded Maria Vladimirovna.