Damascus, Aug. 15 (SANA)Defense and Culture ministers called on Saturday for a relationship between the army and society based on trust, public service and respect for the rule of law, during the Syria Summer Festival at Damascus Citadel.

Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasrasaid, duringSyria Summer Festivalat Damascus Citadel, the Syrian Arab Army was more than a force defending the country’s borders, describing it as a shield confronting challenges and a national institution contributing to reconstruction.

He said soldiers worked alongside firefighters from the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management to protect lives and property, while army units supported afforestation campaigns in fire-damaged areas.

Engineering teams built bridges and reopened roads in hazardous areas, while demining units removed explosives to allow families and children to move safely, Abu Qasra said.

“The arm that carries a weapon, protects the borders and safeguards sovereignty is the same arm that plants hope and builds for tomorrow,” he added.

Culture MinisterMohammad Yassin al-Salehsaid the Defense Ministry protected the country and its people, while his ministry protected public consciousness and preserved national memory.

A state, he said, was built not only with stone or protected only by borders, but also sustained by responsibility, dignity, law and institutions serving people.

Saleh said Syria was seeking a new relationship between citizens and the military in which soldiers viewed the public as the family they were responsible for protecting.

He said the country wanted an army strengthened by public trust and close to the society from which it emerged, rather than one that exercised superiority or tyranny.

Saleh contrasted army aircraft dropping flowers during the festival with the barrel bombs used during the former era. He said the scene recalled the Deterrence of Aggression operation led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa after 14 years marked by bombardment, imprisonment, displacement, torture and other suffering.

The presence of soldiers among children and families helped turn the distance between institutions and society into a space of trust, he said.

The Culture Ministry honored Abu Qasra during the event. Children also gave the Defense Ministry a message thanking soldiers for protecting Damascus and other provinces and for helping reopen roads and clear rubble.