Kremlin's Arab-style Negotiations: Ahmed al-Sharaa Will Discuss the Future of Tartus and Hmeimim Military Bases with Putin

Whoever leads Syria, the country cannot do without Russia

Image caption: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa

On October 15, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will hold talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. According to Reuters, one of the key topics of this meeting is to extend the lease period of Russia's naval base in Tartus and the Hmeimim air base. These two bases are of great strategic importance to Russia, serving as key supports for Russia's presence in the Mediterranean and its influence in the region.

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that during his visit to Russia, al-Sharaa also plans to meet with representatives of the Syrian diaspora in Russia.

Al-Sharaa's visit to Moscow is a continuation of active dialogue between the two countries after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. In January this year, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov led a Russian government delegation to visit Syria, marking the first time since the fall of the Assad regime that Russia sent a delegation to Syria.

In February, Putin held a telephone conversation with al-Sharaa, during which Putin clearly stated that Russia supports Syria's unity, sovereignty, and stability, and expressed Russia's willingness to re-examine agreements signed during the Assad era and called for the cancellation of economic sanctions against Syria.

In July, Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Hibiyani in Moscow. Al-Hibiyani called this meeting the beginning of a new era of political and military trust between Damascus and Moscow. During the July meeting with al-Hibiyani, Putin stated that Russia is willing to support Syria's post-war reconstruction efforts and firmly opposes Israeli interference in Syria's internal affairs.

This visit by al-Sharaa to Russia came over a month after Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak visited Damascus on September 9. At that time, Novak discussed energy cooperation and humanitarian aid issues with Syrian officials. The Jerusalem Strategic Forum Report pointed out that these frequent visits indicate that Russia is striving to maintain its influence in Syria.

In addition, Russia also needs to deal with complex situations in Syria, seeking to balance the interests of other countries, including Israel, which also pays attention to the issue of the survival of Russian military bases in Syria. The Jerusalem Strategic Forum Report mentioned that both Russia and Israel express concern about the stability of the situation in Syria and criticize the Damascus government's response to sectarian conflicts.

"Stability in the Syrian situation will help improve the overall situation in the Middle East, and this development trend fully aligns with the fundamental interests of Russia and Israel," said Alexander Viktorov, Russia's ambassador to Israel.

Currently, Moscow is waiting for Damascus to appoint an official to lead the interdepartmental committee responsible for reviewing all bilateral agreements previously signed between Russia and Syria. It is highly likely that al-Sharaa will discuss the future of these agreements during his visit to Russia.

The Jerusalem Strategic Forum Report specifically pointed out that any agreement reached between Russia and Syria may include additional clauses, such as Russia resuming patrol operations in strategic locations in Syria, including the Golan Heights border area and the Qamishli area in northeastern Syria.

The Jerusalem Strategic Forum Report raised the core question: Considering that the US influence is simultaneously returning to Syria, can the relationship between Russia and the new regime in Syria develop into a more long-term strategic cooperation? In May this year, US President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, and later they met again at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Al Jazeera reported that the US has eased economic sanctions on Syria, but the complete cancellation of some sanctions still requires approval from the US Congress; while the EU has lifted all remaining economic sanctions against Syria.

"For Syria, cooperation with Russia is both a guarantee against foreign domination and a barrier against excessive dependence on a single protector state," said former Israeli Knesset member Kseniya Svetlova. "For Russia, maintaining its influence in Syria is the most important tool to exert influence in the Middle East."

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7561389302194749992/

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