Russian delegation backs Syria's 'integrity, sovereignty' in first trip

Russian delegation backs Syria's 'integrity, sovereignty' in first trip

DAMASCUS
Russian delegation backs Syrias integrity, sovereignty in first trip

A high-level Russian delegation in Syria expressed support for the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Moscow's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

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The former Syrian president, a key Russian ally in the Middle East, fled to Moscow last year after being ousted in a lightning rebel offensive that ended five decades of rule by the Assad family.

Russia sent its first high-level delegation to the war-torn country on Jan. 28, with Moscow keen to retain two military bases in Syria.

"The Russian side reaffirmed its unwavering support for the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It said the visit came at a "crunch point" in Russia-Syria relations, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it an "important trip."

"It is necessary to build and maintain a permanent dialogue with the Syrian authorities, which is what we will continue to do," Peskov told reporters.

The delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who is also Putin's special envoy on the Middle East and Africa, and met with Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Russia's naval base in Tartus and its air base at Hmeimim – both on Syria's Mediterranean coast – are Moscow's only military outposts outside the former Soviet Union.

It used the air base extensively after intervening in the Syrian civil war on Assad's side in 2015.

Syria's new leaders said on Wednesday they had discussed "transitional justice" with the Russian delegation.

The visit came after Putin denied that Moscow had suffered a strategic "defeat" in the Middle East following Assad's ouster.

"The new administration... stressed that restoring relations must address past mistakes, respect the will of the Syrian people and serve their interests," Syria's new government said in a statement.

The talks aimed to deliver "justice for the victims of the brutal war waged by the Assad regime", it added.

In December, Sharaa noted the "deep strategic interests between Russia and Syria" in an interview with the Al-Arabiya TV channel.

"All Syria's arms are of Russian origin, and many power plants are managed by Russian experts... We do not want Russia to leave Syria in the way that some wish," he added.

Ukrainian diplomats visited Syria's new rulers in December, with Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga urging Sharaa to expel Russia from the country.

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"We believe that from a strategic point of view, the removal of Russia's presence in Syria will contribute to the stability of not only the Syrian state, but the entire Middle East and Africa," Sybiga told Sharaa while in Damascus, according to a statement.