Despite the fact that the interviewer has the weirdest smile on her face throughout the recording, the 33-minute interview with the first lady of Syria is an intriguing one.

Asma Assad, a British-Syrian national and wife of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, spoke out for the first time in eight years with Russia’s Channel 24.

In the interview, conducted in English, Asma took the opportunity to “promote her development initiatives, defend her husband’s policies and argue that Syria will rebuild itself,” explains Huffington Post. They continue:

In her interview, the Syrian first lady expressed her gratitude to the “real friends of Syria” ― Russia and Iran ― who came to the country’s aid after other countries, including the United States, imposed sanctions.

“Ironically, Western media organisations have chosen to solely focus on the plight of refugees and those caught up in rebel-held areas whereas, in fact, the vast majority of people are living across the country and these people, as much as anybody else, matter,” she said.

You can watch the full interview below, which was posted on the Syrian Presidency’s YouTube channel:

Weird, huh?

[source:huffingtonpost]