Ahmed al Sharaa received the Russian president envoy in Damascus

The leader of the Syrian Administration, Ahmed al Sharaa met on Tuesday with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, and Alexander Lavrentiev, Putin’s special envoy.

Bogdanov said after the meeting that he emphasized to the new leadership the traditional friendly nature of Russian-Syrian relations, discussed trade and economic relations with them, and held constructive talks with al Shara.

He added, “the meeting lasted for 3 hours, and went well in general, with Syrian foreign minister Asaad al Sheibani and Health Minister Maher al Sharaa, the older brother of Ahmed al Sharaa, were at the meeting”.

“We’ve friendly and cooperative relations with the Syrian people… We’ve established important infrastructure facilities in Syria, especially hydroelectric power facilities, and also provided our assistance in providing energy, fertilizers, grain, etc., and we are ready to continue, in accordance with the agreements with the new Syrian authorities,” Bogdanov added.

Regarding the status of Russian bases in Syria, Bogdanov said, “There will be no changes to the Russian presence in Syria at the moment (i.e. the bases will remain), and the future fate of Russian military bases in Syria requires additional consultations and talks… We expressed our gratitude to al Sharaa that our citizens and facilities weren’t harmed as a result of the events that the country witnessed in recent weeks”.

Days after the fall of the Assad regime, Ahmed al Sharaa said that Russia is the second most powerful country in the world and has great importance, and he doesn’t want Russia to leave in a way that isn’t appropriate for its relationship with Syria.

From its part, the Syrian General Command announced that a Russian delegation headed by Mikhail Bogdanov, the Special Envoy for the Middle East, visited Damascus and affirmed Moscow’s support for the positive changes currently taking place in Syria.

The General Command statement said that discussions during the meeting focused on important issues, including respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Russian side stressed its support for the positive changes taking place in the country.

According to the statement, Russia’s role in rebuilding trust with the Syrian people through concrete steps, including compensation, reconstruction, and recovery, was highlighted.

The talks also addressed transitional justice mechanisms aimed at achieving accountability and justice for victims of the war in Syria.

The new Syrian administration affirmed its commitment to cooperate with all concerned parties in a principled manner to build Syria’s future on the foundations of justice, dignity, and sovereignty.

It also stressed the need to restore relations while taking into account past mistakes and respecting the will of the Syrian people in a way that serves their interests.