Russia is close to reaching an agreement with the new Syrian government, which would allow it to maintain its presence on the military bases in Tartus and Hmeimim, according to Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources familiar with the situation.
Moscow hopes to maintain a complete presence on these bases, which were leased for 49 years in 2017, in exchange for its continued support in the fight against the Islamic State, a conversation partner of the news agency said. The Syrian side, on the other hand, expects the continued Russian presence to counterbalance the growing influence of Turkey in the country.
Last year, armed opposition fighters declared the capture of Damascus and the overthrow of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian president stepped down and received asylum in Russia. Ahmed al-Scharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was appointed as the interim head of the republic. The rebels have offered a reward of $10 million for information that would lead to the arrest of Assad.
The new Syrian authorities have not ruled out the maintenance of Russian military bases if Damascus benefits from it. The Kremlin said that Moscow is in talks with the new Syrian authorities on all issues, including the continued presence of Russian forces and that these talks are encountering obstacles due to Turkish resistance. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested to Damascus the use of military bases for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Putin and al-Scharaa had their first meeting on February 12. The Russian president expressed his support for the “unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Syria and declared his willingness to contribute to the improvement of the socio-economic situation in the republic, including the provision of humanitarian aid to the population.