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Syria’s interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, recently conducted his inaugural discussions with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, marking the first such meeting since Mr. Sharaa’s government ousted Bashar al-Assad ten months prior.
During the meeting, President Putin emphasized the “special relationship” that exists between the two nations.
President Sharaa reportedly indicated a willingness to maintain Russia’s access to its existing military installations within Syria.
Further, it is believed that Mr. Sharaa intends to request the extradition of Bashar al-Assad, who was granted asylum in Moscow following his departure from Syria.
Historically, the two leaders were adversaries, positioned on opposing sides of a protracted and violent civil conflict.
President Putin’s administration previously deployed military resources to bolster Bashar al-Assad’s government. Conversely, the Islamist group led by Mr. Sharaa spearheaded the rebel offensive that ultimately led to Mr. Assad’s removal from power.
However, Wednesday’s meeting saw the Russian and Syrian leaders convene for the first time, prioritizing pragmatic considerations over past hostilities.
“Over the past decades, our countries have cultivated a special relationship,” stated President Putin during the discussions.
He further noted the presence of “quite a few interesting and useful undertakings” on the agenda and affirmed Russia’s commitment to “do everything to fulfil them.”
President Sharaa expressed his desire for Syria to re-establish diplomatic ties with all nations, with a particular emphasis on strengthening relations with Russia.
“We are trying to restore and redefine in a new way the nature of these relations so there is independence for Syria, sovereign Syria, and also its territorial unity and integrity and its security stability,” Mr. Sharaa stated.
These cordial exchanges signal a desire for a productive working relationship between the two leaders.
Russia seeks to maintain access to its naval facility in Tartous and its airbase in Hmeimim, both strategically located on Syria’s Mediterranean coastline.
President Sharaa’s statements suggest a willingness to accommodate this, affirming that Syria would “respect all agreements concluded throughout the great history” of their bilateral relations.
In return, Mr. Sharaa seeks assistance in solidifying his position within Syria, securing the nation’s borders, and revitalizing its struggling economy through access to Russian energy resources and investments.
Russian ministers have expressed readiness to provide food supplies and medical aid to Syria, as well as to assist in the restoration of damaged power and transportation infrastructure.
However, beneath the surface of these amiable interactions, certain tensions persist.
Syrian sources indicate that President Sharaa intends to request the extradition of Bashar al-Assad to stand trial for alleged war crimes, a request that Russia is unlikely to grant.
Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Russia had granted asylum to Mr. Assad due to credible threats to his and his family’s “physical elimination.”
Results from the first parliamentary elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad show only 13% of seats were won by female and minority candidates.
Three provinces will not be included “for security reasons”, amid concerns over how representative the polls will be.
Syrian president Ahmed Al-Sharaa became the first representative of Syria to address world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly for almost sixty years.
The drought has slashed wheat harvests by 40% in a country where nearly 90% of the population already lives in poverty.
The Assad regime used an international charity to hide children of detainees from their families.
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