Russia Fails to Reach Agreement With Syria on Fate of its Military Bases

Russia has not reached an agreement with Syria regarding the fate of its military bases. Syria does not rule out signing agreements, but only on a mutually beneficial basis.

The Syrian Arab News Agency reported on this.

Syria is holding negotiations with Russia to revise existing agreements that govern bilateral cooperation, including issues of military presence, said Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani. However, no new agreements have been reached.

During the visit of Syrian President al-Sharaa to Moscow, the Syrian and Russian sides discussed the fate of former President Bashar al-Assad and the return of Syrian military personnel who had left the country, as well as future relations and prospects for cooperation.

However, no consensus was reached, including on the issue of Russian military bases in Syria. In 2017, Russia and the Assad regime signed an agreement to station Russian bases in Syria for a period of 49 years. However, agreements signed by the former regime have been suspended, as they no longer serve the interests of the Syrian people, and no new agreements have been reached, the minister said.

He emphasized that all diplomatic steps are carefully planned and do not involve any concessions regarding Syria’s rights. According to him, Syria is using its international status to strengthen ties with Russia, China, and Europe for the benefit of its people.

“We are restoring our relations with China, which previously stood politically on the side of the former regime and used its veto power in its favor. Next month, Syria will make its first official visit to Beijing,” Al-Shaibani added.