KEY POINTS
- Syria urges Russia to address past mistakes during talks with Russian delegation.
- Russia reaffirms support for Syria’s sovereignty and acknowledges “positive changes” under new leadership.
- Moscow seeks to secure its military bases in Syria after Assad’s ouster.
- Kremlin pledges continued dialogue with Syria’s new government to maintain strategic ties.
DAMASCUS, Syria: Syria’s new leadership on Wednesday urged Moscow to “address past mistakes” during talks with visiting Russian officials — the first since the ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad.
“The dialogue highlighted Russia’s role in rebuilding trust with the Syrian people through concrete measures such as compensation, reconstruction and recovery,” according to the Syrian readout on the talks in Damascus with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.
“The new administration also stressed that restoring relations must address past mistakes and respect the will of the Syrian people,” the statement read.
“The Russian side reaffirmed its unwavering support for the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement as reported by Russian news agency TASS.
It added that the visit came at a “crunch point” in Russia-Syria relations, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it an “important trip.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Presidential Special Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev met Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The visit comes with Moscow keen to secure the fate of two military bases there and after Russian President Vladimir Putin denied that Moscow had suffered a strategic “defeat” in the Middle East following the fall of Assad.
According to Syrian state news agency SANA, the Russian delegation voiced support for “the positive changes taking place in Syria.”
The Syrian administration affirmed its commitment to dealing with all stakeholders “in a principled manner to build a future for Syria based on justice, dignity and sovereignty.”
Bogdanov described the almost three-hour-long meeting as constructive, TASS news agency reported.
”The Russian side reaffirmed its support for the ongoing positive changes in Syria,” the Syrian statement mentioned.
Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after an alliance of opposition groups took control of Damascus in a lightning offensive last month, ending his family’s decades-long rule.
Another key area of focus during the discussions was the establishment of transitional justice mechanisms to ensure accountability for the victims of the devastating war.
“We discussed transitional justice mechanisms aimed at ensuring accountability and achieving justice for the victims of the brutal war unleashed by the Assad regime,” the statement added.
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Russia intends to maintain talks with Syria
The Kremlin views contact between Russia and Syria’s new leadership as significant and intends to maintain dialogue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday as cited by TASS.
“This is an important trip, important contacts because it is necessary to build and maintain a constant dialogue with the Syrian authorities, which we are engaged in and will continue to engage in,” Peskov said.
Russian authorities will continue to establish dialogue with the new leadership of Syria, Peskov added.
“We will continue dialogue with the Syrian authorities,” Peskov added.
Earlier, Russian media outlets reported that a Russian delegation arrived in Damascus, marking the first visit by Russian officials to the country since the ouster of Assad’s regime last December.
The visit came just days after the European Union linked the lifting of sanctions on Syria to the withdrawal of foreign armed forces from its territory, urging Syrian authorities to require Russia to vacate its military bases in Khmeimim and Tartus.
