Russia aims to secure deal with new Syria leaders to keep vital military bases
Talks are taking place for Russia to maintain a military presence in Syria after the overthrow of Kremlin ally Assad
Russia is nearing an agreement with Syria’s new leadership to keep two vital military bases in the Middle East state, a key objective of the Kremlin after the fall of its ally Bashar al-Assad.
Talks are taking place for Russian forces to remain at the naval port in Tartus and the airbase at Khmeimim, according to people with knowledge of the matter in Moscow, Europe and the Middle East, asking not to be identified because the issue is sensitive.
The Defence Ministry in Moscow believes it has an informal understanding with Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, or HTS, the former al-Qaeda offshoot that led the offensive to oust Assad, that it can stay at the Syrian bases, the person in Russia said. The situation could still change amid the instability in Syria, the person cautioned.
Moscow has established contact with HTS in Damascus and hopes the group “will honour promises” to keep foreign diplomats safe, Russian state media cited Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying. Russia plans to keep its bases in Syria as the fight against Islamic State, or Isis, is not over, he said.
“I assume that everyone agrees that the fight against terrorism and the remnants of Isis is not over,” Bogdanov was reported as saying. “This requires collective effort and in this sense our presence and the Khmeimim base have been playing an important role.”
“The bases remain on Syrian territory, where they were,” Bogdanov added. “No other decisions have been made.”
