Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow on March 15. Source: the Syrian Presidency Office.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the RIA Novosti news agency in an interview that was published on March 16 that he would welcome any Russian proposals to set up new military bases in his country, suggesting that Moscow’s military presence there should become permanent.
Russia has been maintaining a large military presence in Syria since 2015. Moscow played a key role in the fight against rebels and terrorist groups trying to topple Assad’s government, and backed Damascus against Western states at the United Nations on numerous occasions.
Assad arrived in the Russian capital on March 14, in his first extended visit to the allied country since the outbreak of the war in Syria more than a decade ago.
The president said that he would welcome any Russian proposals to set up new military bases and boost Russian troop numbers in Syria.
“We think that expanding the Russian presence in Syria is a good thing,” al-Assad told the Russian news agency. “Russia’s military presence in any country should not be based on anything temporary.”
“We believe that if Russia has the desire to expand bases or increase their number, it is a technical or logistical issue.”
In a separate interview with the Russian Sputnik networks, Assad stated that he would not meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan until Ankara’s “illegal occupation” of Syrian territory was over.
Russia has been sponsoring the Turkish-Syrian normalization process for a while now. Very recently, Iran joined the efforts.
“This is linked to arriving at a stage Turkey would clearly be ready and without any ambiguity to exit completely from Syrian territory and end its support of terrorism and restore the situation that prevailed before the start of the war on Syria,” al-Assad said.
“This is the only situation when it would then be possible to have a meeting between me and Erdogan. Aside from that, what’s the value of such a meeting and why would we do it if it would not achieve final results for the war in Syria,” he added.
Assad held extensive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 15. The two leaders discussed political issues, economic relations and the humanitarian situation in Syria after the devastating February 6 earthquakes. The foreign and defense ministers of Syria and Russia held similar meetings.
The remarks made Assad indicate that while Syria is enthusiastic to boost cooperation with Russia, it is not in a hurry to reach an agreement with Turkey. Ankara will not likely agree to a full withdrawal from the country any time soon.
Calling them Russian bases should give Israel reason to hesitate while bombing them. I guess Biden wants a payoff through the usual channels to slack off in Syria.
It seems that when the US leave the region, new factions will emerge.
yankee invading criminals should be send back to there mamy in body bags. The us world terrorists provoke trobles every where they invade on dubius reasons.
Presentation and context is slanted and suggestive.
Russia and Assad should work together on eradicating the Anarchist filth from the northeast, and restoring Syria’s control over its oil fields.
Conoco/Phillips 66 customers should be made aware of the violence involved in producing their products.
Syria’s president Assad is right. Just that if any peace would come, in Turkey coming presidental election, so not sure is it right time for negotiations before elected turkish president.
mossheads hairline is proof he is subhuman.
#hairlinechallengedsubhumansufyani
Turkiye Demands Jizzyah with humiliation from mosshead, ahaha.
#HurryTFUforthoseWithdrawalsMF
Now your beloved Wahhabis are unprotected
I guess everybody just forgot who is ruling in Syria. We have bases in Al Tanf, Jordan, East Syria and North Syria and you cant do a shit in Syria without America and US Special Forces and our Allies…………..LOL.
ok.ru/video/1575088491167 vk.com/video-151878956_456249703 vk.com/video-175348756_456244010 vk.com/video-53474_456247407 youtu.be/ETU0JEzlniI