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The new Syrian government has stated that it met with a Russian delegation to discuss “restoring relations” between the two countries, according to Syrian state news agency Sana.
“The Russian side reaffirmed its support for the ongoing positive changes taking place in Syria. The talks emphasized Russia's role in restoring relations with the Syrian people through concrete measures such as compensation, rebuilding, and rehabilitation. ...
The new administration also emphasized that restoring relations should take into account past mistakes, respect the will of the Syrian people, and serve their interests,” the Syrian leadership stated.
The parties discussed transitional justice mechanisms aimed at “achieving justice for the victims of the brutal war unleashed by the Assad regime.”
A delegation headed by Mikhail Bogdanov, a Russian Deputy Foreign Minister who also serves as Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for the Middle East and Africa, arrived in Damascus the previous day. The Syrian side was represented at the negotiation table by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) head and de facto Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani), Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, and several other officials.
Bogdanov said after the meeting that the two sides had discussed maintaining Russian military bases in Syria but had not reached an agreement. “So far, nothing is changing. The issue requires further negotiation. We agreed to continue more in-depth consultations on each area of our cooperation,” the special envoy said.
Former Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown in December by Syrian groups led by HTS, found refuge with his family in Moscow. The Financial Times wrote that $250 million in cash was transferred from Syria to Russia in 2018-2019 alone.