MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top diplomat on Thursday met with his Syrian counterpart during the first formal to Moscow by an official of the new government in Damascus since former Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted in a rebel offensive last year despite years of Russian support.
Opening the talks, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani that the Russian authorities “sincerely wish that the Syrian people, with whom we have long-standing friendship, overcome all existing challenges and completely normalize the situation,” and al-Shibani said Syria was interested in ties with Russia and having Russia “by our side.”
Assad was an ally of Russia, and Moscow’s scorched-earth intervention in support of him a decade ago turned the tide of Syria’s civil war and keep Assad in his seat for years. However, when insurgent groups launched a new offensive last year, Russia did not intervene again to save Assad.
Assad took refuge in Russia after his ouster, later claiming in a statement posted on Facebook that he had wanted to stay in the country and continue fighting but that the Russians had pulled him out.
Despite having been on opposite sides of the battle lines during the civil war, the new rulers in Damascus, headed by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Moscow.
A Russian delegation visited Damascus in January, and the following month Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had a call with al-Sharaa that the Kremlin described as “constructive and business-like.” Some Russian forces have remained on the Syrian coast, and Russia has reportedly sent oil shipments to Syria.
Al-Sharaa thanked Russia for its “strong position in rejecting Israeli strikes and repeated violations of Syrian sovereignty” after Israel intervened in clashes between Syrian government forces and armed groups from the Druze religious minority earlier this month.
Speaking to reporters after the talks on Thursday, Lavrov thanked “Syrian colleagues for the steps they’re taking to ensure the safety of Russian citizens and Russian facilities” in Syria.
“We reaffirmed our support for the preservation of the unity, territorial integrity and independence of the Syrian Arab Republic and are ready to provide the Syrian people with all possible assistance in post-conflict reconstruction. We agreed that we will continue our dialogue on these issues,” Lavrov said.
Without naming Assad, al-Shibani called on Russia to support the country’s post-Assad “transitional justice” process and said Syria has formed a committee to review preexisting agreements with Russia.
Al-Shibani criticized Israel’s “interference in internal affairs” and said it complicates efforts to resolve conflicts between different communities in Syria.
“Many countries want stability and security in Syria, but there are some that want a weak and divided Syria, that want to prove that the government is unable to protect the minorities or that there are internal problems,” he said.
He added that Syria’s new government has “said since day one that we have no hostile intentions towards Israel. We pose no threat to Israel. Syria just wants to rebuild itself. We are tired of the war over the past 14 years.”
