Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani arrived in Moscow on Thursday. The visit is important because Russia was a key ally of the previous Assad regime, and Moscow would like to continue to play a role in Syria.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government faces many hurdles, and having Russia playing a stabilizing role in Syria is important for Damascus. It is not clear how Russia-Syria relations will develop.
The Russia-Syria meeting comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed tensions in the Middle East with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
“The Russian side reiterated its unwavering support for resolving the problems and conflicts arising in the region via exclusively peaceful means,” Ankara-based Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency, reported. “Putin emphasized the importance of supporting Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, addressing the need to reinforce the country’s internal political stability by respecting the legitimate rights and interests of all minorities.”
The meeting also comes after reports of a meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, between Israeli and Syrian officials. Agence France-Presse characterized it as a “continuation of regional talks involving Israel, the United States and Syria aimed at de-escalating tensions.”
This followed a meeting in Paris between Syria’s Shaibani and Israeli officials. US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack has sought to encourage dialogue between Jerusalem and Damascus.
In Moscow, Shaibani met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. Syrian Arab News Agency did not discuss the content of the meetings.
Lavrov appears to want to move forward on ties with Damascus. Russia may be flexible and seek to return to influence in Syria. This would give Russia a continued role in this key country in the Middle East.
The Syrian government has done a lot of outreach to the West and also to countries such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Iran and Russia were the two key allies of the Assad regime.
Damascus fought against Russia-backed Assad regime
Damascus is run by those who fought the regime and have bitter experiences regarding Iranian and Russian support for Assad. Now that they are in charge, however, they appear ready to be flexible.
Syria’s goal is not to have Russia undermine the current government or destabilize it. Moscow would appear ready to compromise and return to favor in Damascus. If it can do that, then it will not have lost influence in the region. It is likely the US will be watching closely what happens next.
The US has tried to balance the decision by the White House to reach out to Sharaa in May and Israel’s bombing of Syria in July in response to attacks on the Druze.