Russia says it established contacts with new authorities in Syria

ISTANBUL

Russia said it has established contacts with the new authorities in Syria, after anti-regime forces seized the capital Damascus on Sunday after a lightning advance that toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

“Contacts have been established with the political committee, which is currently working in one of the hotels in Damascus,” Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s special envoy for the Middle East and North Africa, told journalists in Moscow late Thursday.

Bogdanov said the new authorities in Syria met with representatives of Russia’s diplomatic corps at the hotel, and that they have also met with personnel from Moscow’s Embassy in the capital.

The special envoy further said that the discussions, first and foremost, touched on ensuring the security of Russia’s diplomatic mission and its citizens in Syria.

He also said that these contacts between Russian and Syrian authorities are proceeding in a constructive manner.

“We hope that all promises of representatives of those groups, people, forces that should be responsible for the situation in the city will be fulfilled,” Bogdanov went on to say, adding that this means "preventing any excesses," as well as ensuring the security of foreign diplomatic missions, including that of Russia.

Bogdanov also argued the fight against terrorism is not yet over, particularly against the Daesh/ISIS terror group, and that Russia’s military bases played an important role in the context of the overall fight against international terrorism.

​​​​​​​He added that Russia's military bases in Syria remain, and that no other decisions have been made for the moment about their future.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of the capital Damascus early Sunday, ending the rule of the Baath Party, which had been in power since 1963.