Bouthaina Shaaban, advisor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks to the media after a meeting at the Geneva Conference on Syria at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva in this file photo dated January 30, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Damascus aims to secure Syria's border with Turkey and recapture the city of Aleppo with its latest military offensive, a top adviser to President Bashar al-Assad said on Tuesday.
In an interview in her Damascus office, Bouthaina Shaaban held out little hope for diplomatic efforts to end the five-year civil war, telling Reuters proposals for a ceasefire were coming from states that "do not want an end to terrorism" and wanted to shore up insurgents who are losing ground.
