Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov announces that Russia will seek ties with new Syrian administration [Getty]
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that he agreed with Syrian HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa that relations with Syria were “long-term and strategic”.
He added that Russia was hoping to resume cooperation with Syria after the change in leadership there.
Russia was a key backer of the former regime of deposed President Bashar al-Assad and granted him asylum there after his overthrow on 8 December.
Lavrov said that Russia will not allow Syria to be divided and condemned any attempts to undermine its sovereignty, stating that Syria’s collapse is “unacceptable”.
He claimed that some international powers were working for such an outcome.
His remarks come as Russia seeks to build ties with Syria’s new leadership. Moscow has been in contact with the new administration through its embassy in Damascus, focusing on technical issues related to securing its citizens and diplomatic presence.
While Russia intends to resume economic cooperation, Lavrov also highlighted the importance of political and military engagement as a long-term commitment to Syria’s stability.
He also addressed the concerns of neighbouring Turkey, noting that Moscow understands Ankara’s “legitimate” worries regarding the safety of its border with Syria, and saying that both Russia and Turkey supported the preservation of Syria’s sovereignty.
Turkey effectively controls parts of northern Syria through its allied militias in the Syrian National Army (SNA).
The country initially adopted an open-door policy towards Syrian refugees, hosting the largest Syrian diaspora of any country. However, Syrian refugees in Turkey have faced growing racism and have been increasingly scapegoated for the country’s economic woes.
The comments come after Russia pulled back its military from parts of northern Syria while remaining at its two main bases in the country after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.
Less than twenty-four hours before Assad’s demise, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov castigated HTS as ‘terrorists’ and declared that it was inadmissible for such a rebel group to take over Syrian territory.
Although Russia intervened militarily on Assad’s behalf in Syria in 2015, it did not deploy significant resources to prevent his overthrow during the rebel takeover earlier this month.
