Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hopes that Russia will regain its standing in the international arena. \"We support Russia\'s policies in the world. Its political policies are balanced and logical,\" Mr. Al-Assad said delivering a lecture at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). According to the Syrian president, the \'Third World\' nations peg high hopes on Russia reclaiming its positions in the international arena. Mr. al-Assad thinks the fight against terrorism should focus on eradicating its causes. \"Now, the fight against terrorism overlooks weeding out its causes. First and foremost, it is the causes that should be eradicated when countering terrorism,\" Mr. al-Assad said. The Syrian president noted that if a patient is treated the way terrorism is being fought, \"there will be no success\". According to Mr. al-Assad, a solution to the Middle East conflicts has to be found first. \"Achieving peace in the Middle East, resolving the conflict in Iraq and launching a dialog are necessary in the first place,\" Mr. al-Assad said, having emphasized that security issues should be dealt with at the same time. The war in Iraq, the Syrian leader said, poses an immediate threat to his country. \"The situation in Iraq jeopardizes Syria not only due to the US military presence there, but due to the repercussions of the war as well,\" the Syrian president said. Responding to the question about a possible US aggression against Syria, he underlined that the problem boiled down not so much to military action, as to the very politics the United States pursued. \"The problem has not to do with an aggression against Syria. The United States is a strong power enjoying an obvious military superiority,\" the Syrian president said. Mr. al-Assad noted that Syria was concerned about the situation in the world. \"As a small country, we view the current situation in the world with concern. When a country pursues a policy running counter to those of the most of other countries, no options can be impossible, which causes our greatest concerns,\" Bashar al-Assad said. (RIA Novosti)