Syria looks to reshape ties with Russia, al-Sharaa tells Putin in Moscow
Assalamu alaykum - Syria’s interim leader said in Moscow that he wants to restore and reshape relations with Russia, and he promised his government will honour past agreements with Moscow.
By Stephen Quillen and News Agencies
Al-Sharaa met President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday during his first official visit to the country that has been hosting Bashar al-Assad since his exile about 10 months ago. He told Putin they 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.”
Al-Sharaa also assured that Damascus will respect existing deals with Russia, saying there are shared interests that bind the two countries and that Syria stands by the agreements made.
According to Syrian officials cited by Reuters and AFP, al-Sharaa - who some officials allege once led the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda under the name Abu Mohammed al-Julani - planned to use the meeting to ask Moscow to hand over al-Assad. That sensitive matter was not mentioned in al-Sharaa’s short televised remarks at the start of the meeting.
Putin welcomed al-Sharaa and spoke of long-standing “special relations” between Moscow and Damascus, saying Russia has often been guided by the interests of the Syrian people and that he wanted to expand ties. He also praised recent parliamentary elections in Syria, calling them a success that could help consolidate society and strengthen cooperation among political forces.
Even though the new authorities and Moscow were on opposite sides during much of Syria’s 13-year war, the current leaders in Damascus have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Russia and other foreign powers. For Syria, keeping a working relationship with Russia matters for rebuilding the country after the war and for securing international legitimacy.
Al-Sharaa recently told US network CBS that Russia’s ties with Syria go back a long way and touch on state structure, energy and food supplies that Syria partly depends on. Russia still keeps forces at air and naval bases on the Syrian coast and has reportedly sent oil shipments; the Kremlin has expressed hope to negotiate a deal to keep those outposts.
May Allah guide the future of Syria and bring stability, Insha'Allah.
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