By Vladimir Soldatkin
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia on Tuesday despatched a giant delegation to Syria, headed by its high vitality official, in its most seen effort but to construct relations with the federal government that toppled former President Bashar al-Assad, a key ally of Moscow, late final yr.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated in televised feedback that Russia and Qatar are discussing humanitarian help to Syria and the restoration of its vitality sector. He didn’t spell out what type of help they may present.
Syria’s vitality sector was crippled by the nation’s 13-year civil conflict, which made it extremely reliant on imports, particularly from Iran.
Novak, who’s President Vladimir Putin’s level man for vitality points, is heading a big Russian delegation with representatives of varied ministries together with defence.
In feedback broadcast by Russian tv, he stated Moscow might use its community of contacts within the Center East to assist the Syrian authorities.
“I want to emphasize the distinctive negotiating capabilities of Russia, which maintains contacts with Israel and all ethnic teams in Syria. We suggest utilizing this issue to stabilize the state of affairs in Syria,” Novak stated.
Syria’s state information company quoted International Minister Asaad al-Shibani as alluding not directly to Russia’s historical past of help for Assad, to whom it supplied intensive army backing.
“Our relationship with Russia is deep and has witnessed intervals of friendship and cooperation, however there has by no means been a stability. Any overseas presence on our soil have to be geared toward serving to the Syrian folks construct their future,” Shibani stated.
Novak stated Russia shared the Syrian authorities’s issues in regards to the “harmful” actions of Israel, together with air strikes on Syria.
The Russian official stated his journey was an excellent alternative to debate the “total vary” of cooperation between Russia and Syria, and Moscow connected nice significance to the upcoming go to of President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Moscow for a Russia-Arab summit.
Amongst Russia’s key priorities is to keep up using a naval base and an airfield, which, throughout Assad’s rule, gave it an necessary army foothold within the area. Novak didn’t check with the army services in his remarks.
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; further reporting by Ahmed Elimam in Dubai and Filipp Lebedev in London; writing by Mark Trevelyan; enhancing by Paul Simao)