Syria FM heads to Russia in first high-level Moscow visit post Assad
As the new Syrian government looks to redefine its ties with Moscow, Russia aims to maintain its naval and air bases in Syria.
Syria’s top diplomat is set to visit Moscow Thursday for the highest-level visit by a Syrian official to Russia since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad last December.
What happened: Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday that Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad al-Shibani will visit Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. The visit comes amid uncertainty over the future of Russian military installations in Syria — particularly at its two coastal bases, the Hmeimim air base in Latakia and the naval base in Tartous.
In February, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Kasra told the Washington Post that Russia could retain its military bases only if the arrangement proved beneficial to Syria.
In late June, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Middle East envoy and deputy minister of foreign affairs, Mikhail Bogdanov, said Moscow had extended an invitation to Shibani and remained in contact with Syrian officials. According to Russian state news agency TASS, Bogdanov said, “We are in contact, and everything is going smoothly for now. I hope we will reach a mutual understanding," referring to Russia’s air and naval bases in Syria’s northwest.
