MOSCOW (London Post in collaboration with AP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday for talks at the Kremlin that are expected to focus on rebuilding Syria after a devastating civil war and improving relations with Damascus and Turkey. Hosted leader Bashar al-Assad.
Putin welcomed Assad at the beginning of a conference marking the anniversary of the 12-year Syrian uprising that turned into a civil war, highlighting the “important contribution” made by the Russian military to the country’s stabilization.
Russia has been conducting military operations in Syria since September 2015, working with Iran to enable the Assad regime to defeat armed rebels and regain control of most of the country.Russia concentrates most of its military resources in Ukraine, while Russia maintains a military base in Syria, where it has fighter planes and troops.
Assad thanked Putin for his support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, noting that support for the Kremlin remains strong despite the fighting in Ukraine. After meeting with senior officials from both countries, Putin invited Assad to another one-on-one meeting. Russian and Syrian defense ministers also met separately to discuss military cooperation.
Moscow has actively politically endorsed Assad at the United Nations and actively mediated to restore relations between his government and regional powers.
Post-earthquake international sympathy appears to have accelerated regional reconciliation, with 22 members more than a decade after their membership was suspended during dialogue with Syria and the early months of the crackdown. There were calls for the country’s return to the Arab League. of the rebellion that turned into war.
As part of the ongoing reconciliation, Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers recently visited Damascus for the first time since the conflict began in March 2011 and met with Assad. On Wednesday, Assad also thanked Putin for dispatching rescue teams, conducting rescue operations and engaging his Syria-based military to help deal with the aftermath of the earthquake.
Before the earthquake, Russia brokered negotiations between Turkey and Syria.
Turkey is backing Syrian rebel militants who sought to overthrow the Assad regime during a civil war that killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of its pre-war population. It calls for Turkey to withdraw from the enclave it controls in northwestern Syria so that relations can be normalized.
Surprisingly, talks between Syrian and Turkish defense ministers took place in Moscow in December he said. Arab media reported that one of the main issues Assad will discuss with Putin at Wednesday’s meeting is reconciliation between Syria and Turkey.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked if Putin’s talks with Assad could play a role in restoring relations between Syria and Turkey. It will definitely be part of the agenda of the meeting.”
While Turkey is backing Syrian opposition fighters in the north, Ankara and Damascus share disappointment with the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria. Turkish-backed opposition fighters have clashed with the SDF in the past, accusing it of being part of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey. The PKK has been in rebellion against the Turkish government for decades.
The Assad regime has portrayed the Self-Defense Forces as a separatist force that has stolen the country’s wealth while controlling Syria’s major oil fields. The deputy foreign ministers of Syria, Turkey and Russia, as well as senior advisers to their Iranian counterparts, were expected to meet in Moscow on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss “counter-terrorism efforts” in Syria. ‘s Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Susan told pro-government media that the meeting was “still under discussion”.
