The National assessed the atmosphere of talks on Russian military presence in Syria

Negotiations between the Russian Federation and the new Syrian authorities on the preservation of two Russian military bases in the provinces of Tartus and Latakia are taking place in a "positive atmosphere". This was reported on December 16 by The National with reference to sources.

It is noted that the parties are at the first stage of negotiations on the Russian military presence in the country.

According to a representative of the Russian armed forces, cited by the publication, whose journalists visited the Hmeimim airbase, the Russian military maintains good relations with the new Syrian authorities.

"We have contact and communication with the new head of the government, and neither side provokes the other," he pointed out.

In addition, according to the publication's source, the new Syrian authorities do not intend to break the agreement under which Russia leases the port of Tartus. According to The National's interlocutor, the agreement cannot be revised unilaterally.

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Earlier in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the situation in Syria should be normalized through an inclusive inter-Syrian dialogue"aimed at achieving national agreement and promoting a comprehensive process of political settlement." The ministry also noted the need to preserve the friendship and mutual respect established between the peoples of our countries over the previous decades.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also noted that there are no final decisions regarding Russian military bases in Syria.

On December 9, Syrian Consul to Russia Zagher Al-Ahmar told Izvestia that there is no danger to Russian military bases in Syria. Al-Ahmar added that Syria is now a new state, but contacts between the two countries will not be abandoned.

Peskov said at the time that it was premature to discuss the possibility of further presence of Russian servicemen in Syria now. The Russian side is in contact on the situation in Syria with Turkey and other regional states, he specified. According to the Kremlin spokesman, Moscow will continue dialog on the situation and its analysis in the Arab republic.

On December 8, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after negotiations with the opposition, left the post of the head of state and left the country, instructing to carry out the transfer of power peacefully.

On the same day, Syria's national coalition of revolutionary and opposition forces announced that they were working to form a transitional authority.

Against this backdrop, the IDF announced the deployment of forces along the Syrian border to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens and communities in the Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the demarcation agreement with Syria has been terminated due to the withdrawal of Syrian troops.

The situation in Syria escalated following a major attack by militias in Aleppo and Idlib, which began on November 28 and led to a Syrian army response against the militants.