Moscow, Oct 15 (AP) – On Wednesday, Syria's interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who spearheaded a swift rebel offensive that led to the ousting of former President Bashar Assad last year, engaged in discussions during his initial visit to Russia. Upon welcoming President al-Sharaa at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin commended the historic bonds between Moscow and Damascus, expressing optimism about their further enhancement. This meeting underscores Russia's intention to build effective relations with Syria's new leadership and maintains a military presence in the country. Bashar Assad, a former ally of Russia, benefited immensely from Moscow's forceful intervention which shifted the dynamics of Syria's decade-long civil war, prolonging his grip on power until his abrupt removal in December. Although Russia primarily concentrated on the conflict in Ukraine and kept a limited military presence in Syria, it offered asylum to Assad post his flight from the country. Far from their past adversarial positions in the civil war, the new leadership in Damascus has adopted a pragmatic stance towards Moscow. Russia has preserved its presence at its Syrian coastal air and naval bases, voicing intentions to secure agreements to maintain these strategic outposts. Reports suggest Moscow has also dispatched oil supplies to Syria. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that the continuation of Russian bases in Syria were on the negotiation table. Syrian news outlet SANA reported that discussions between al-Sharaa and Putin would touch upon regional and international matters of common interest, exploring collaboration opportunities beneficial to both nations. Although al-Sharaa didn't specifically reference the Russian bases in televised remarks, he underscored the “historic ties” and their development significance. Putin praised the recent Syrian parliamentary elections as a “major success," forecasting societal cohesion. During an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” al-Sharaa signaled Syrian authorities would pursue all legal avenues to hold Assad accountable. Addressing media on Monday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted that asylum was afforded to Assad on humanitarian grounds due to threats of physical harm to him and his family. Lavrov dismissed claims of Assad’s poisoning, asserting he is living without issues in Moscow. Recent months have seen regular engagements between the two countries, including visits from Russian contingents to Damascus and a July visit from Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani to Moscow. For Syria’s nascent government, fostering relations with Russia proves vital for the nation's rebuilding and provides external policy diversification. For Russia, sustaining naval and air bases in Syria is crucial, marking its sole outposts beyond former Soviet territories essential for keeping a strategic foothold in the Mediterranean. In the CBS interview, al-Sharaa emphasized Syria's dependence on Russia for critical resources like energy and food, in addition to old strategic interests stemming from their enduring ties.
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