Syria's foreign minister to make first official visit to Moscow since Assad's ouster
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told the state news agency Tass that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will host his Syrian counterpart, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, for talks in Moscow on Thursday. The two will discuss bilateral ties, as well as 'international and regional issues,' the statement said.
There was no statement from Syria on the visit.
Assad was an ally of Russia, and Moscow's scorched-earth intervention in support of him a decade ago turned the tide of Syria's civil war, helping to keep Assad in his seat for years. However, when insurgent groups launched a new offensive last year, Russia did not intervene again to save Assad.
Instead, Assad took refuge in Russia after his ouster. The former president later claimed in a statement posted on Facebook that he had wanted to stay in the country and continue fighting but that the Russians had pulled him out.
He said that he left Damascus for Russia's Hmeimim air base in the coastal province of Latakia on the morning of Dec. 8, hours after insurgents stormed the capital. He hadn't planned to flee, but the Russians evacuated him to Russia after the base came under attack.
Despite having been on opposite sides of the battle lines during the civil war, the new rulers in Damascus, headed by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, have taken a pragmatic approach to relations with Moscow.
A Russian delegation visited Damascus in January, and the following month, Russia's President Vladimir Putin had a call with al-Sharaa that the Kremlin described as 'constructive and business-like.' Some Russian forces have remained on the Syrian coast, and Russia has reportedly sent oil shipments to Syria.
Al-Sharaa publicly thanked Russia for its 'strong position in rejecting Israeli strikes and repeated violations of Syrian sovereignty' after Israel intervened in clashes between Syrian government forces and armed groups from the Druze religious minority earlier this month.
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Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the families. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed the meeting was underway and videos shared online showed Witkoff arriving as families chanted 'Bring them home!' and 'We need your help.' The visit came one day after Witkoff visited a U.S.-backed aid station in Gaza, to inspect efforts to get food into the devastated Palestinian territory. Yotam Cohen, brother of 21-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, told AFP in the square: 'The war needs to end. The Israeli government will not end it willingly. It has refused to do so. 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