· Syria’s president Ahmed al-Sharaa has visited Moscow in the first presidential visit since the fall of Assad.
· In a bid to secure economic concessions, including the resumption of wheat supplies and compensation for war damage, Syria attempts to reset relations with Moscow.
Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa has visited Moscow in his first official state visit with Russia since the fall of the brutal Assad regime.
On Wednesday, Sharaa told Putin that he would honour all past deals struck between his country and Moscow—a pledge suggesting Moscow’s two main military bases in Syria are safe.
The Kremlin said before the talks that the fate of Russia’s two main bases in Syria – the Khmeimim air base in Syria’s Latakia province and its naval facility at Tartous – would both be discussed.
Sharaa, who was speaking to Putin in Arabic said: “There are bilateral relations and shared interests that bind us with Russia, and we respect all agreements made with it. We are working on redefining the nature of relations with Russia.”
Putin responded to him, saying that Moscow was ready to do all it could to act on what he called “many interesting and useful beginnings.”
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters after the talks that the two leaders discussed at length that Russia is willing to work on oil projects in Syria and help restore energy, rail and other infrastructure destroyed during years of civil war.
Novak said: “Russian companies have been working in Syria for a long time, at oil fields. There are fields that require development, those that are mothballed, and new fields. We are ready to participate.”
Reuters reported that Syrian officials are seeking guarantees that Russia will not help rearm remnants of Assad’s forces. They also reported that Sharaa was hoping that Russia might help rebuild the Syrian army.
The request concerning Assad
Russian forces in Syria have for years backed former president Assad’s forces in Syria against the rebels who are now ruling the country.
Even after the fall of the Damascus regime, the Russian government continued to maintain ties with Syria but, at the same time, gave Bashar Al Assad – who now lives discreetly in Moscow – asylum.
Two Syrian sources had told Reuters that Sharaa would request a handover of Assad to face trial over alleged crimes in Syria.
Russia prides itself on being able to protect its foreign allies and so is unlikely to hand over Assad, for it sends a signal to its other allies that it may fold in giving concessions.
It is unclear if the talks have included any future extradition of Assad or not but it cannot be doubted that the visit is a major balancing act as the Syrian administration seeks new partners and allies.
