7 days ago
Damascus reaches out to Moscow to renew ties on new grounds
The meeting marks the most important diplomatic contact between Syria and Russia since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was received Thursday in Moscow by his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. This is their first visit since the Kremlin-supported Assad regime was overthrown, a turning point that significantly reduced Moscow's influence in Syria and left the future of their bilateral relations uncertain. After helping the ousted president and his family escape from rebel forces advancing toward Damascus, Russia now needs to rebuild its relationships with a new government eager to break the image of being a puppet. Context Russia, Syria to bolster ties, review Assad-era agreements "We are here to represent a new Syria," Shaibani declared during the meeting,...
