The Syrian transitional president visiting Russia for the first time

Syrian transitional president Ahmed al Sharaa is visiting Russia, where he is scheduled to meet with the Russian president.

This is his first visit since taking power following the fall of Bashar al Assad in December, a former Russian ally.

A Syrian government source said that the visit will be attended by President Ahmed al Sharaa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and military and economic officials.

The source added that Sharaa is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that the two sides will also discuss economic issues related to investment, the status of Russian bases in Syria, and the issue of rearming the new army.

A source in the Syrian Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit, Sharaa’s meeting with Putin, and the topics to be discussed.

The Syrian government source said that Ahmed al Sharaa, will request the extradition of ousted President Bashar al Assad during his first visit to Russia, after he fled there in December.

The source said, “President Sharaa will ask the Russian president to hand over all those who have committed war crimes and are in Russia, most notably Bashar al Assad”.

Sharaa was scheduled to participate in an Arab-Russian summit in Moscow on October 15, but Russia announced its indefinite postponement due to the participation of several Arab leaders in monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which went into effect on Friday.

Moscow was a major supporter of Bashar al Assad throughout his quarter-century rule, and he fled to Moscow following his ouster on December 8.

Despite Russia’s support for Assad, the transitional authorities, headed by Ahmed al Sharaa, adopted a conciliatory tone toward Russia from the outset.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al Shaibani visited Moscow in late July, and during this first visit by an official in the new government, he emphasized mutual respect.

In September, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak visited Damascus, saying at the time that he had come “to open a new page in our relations”.

Russia is seeking to secure the future of its naval base in Tartus and its air base in Hmeimim, its only two military sites outside the former Soviet Union, under the new authorities.