This Past: Russia and Syria renegotiate Assad-era contracts

Russia and Syria have begun reviewing bilateral agreements signed in previous years. On July 31, negotiations were held between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries, Sergey Lavrov and Asaad al-Shibani. The visit of the Minister of the Republic to the Russian Federation was the first after the change of power in Damascus. The parties agreed to take stock of previous agreements, discussed the prospects for economic cooperation and the stabilization of the situation in the province of Suwayda. Contacts on the issue of maintaining Russian bases continue and are aimed, among other things, at ensuring the safety of our citizens in the SAR. How the updating of the old agreements will affect relations between the countries is described in the Izvestia article.

The first visit of the Syrian minister to Moscow

On July 31, the heads of the Russian and Syrian foreign ministries, Sergey Lavrov and Asaad Hassan al—Shibani, held talks in Moscow. This is the first visit of the Syrian side to Russia at this level after the change of power in Damascus and the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad. The discussion focused on issues of trade and economic cooperation, regional stability and the future of bilateral relations.

In addition to diplomats, the Russian delegation included First Deputy Head of the Information Department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Zorin, an experienced negotiator. During the active phase of the Syrian civil war, according to media reports, he participated in the organization of "green buses" for the withdrawal of militants, helped to achieve local truces between the warring parties, and also contributed to the signing of cease-fire agreements.

On the part of Damascus, Secretary General of the Presidential Office Maher al-Sharaa, the brother of interim Syrian President Ahmed al—Sharaa, known in the past by the nickname Julani, participated in the negotiations. Maher graduated from the Medical Academy in Voronezh and is considered a man who understands Russian specifics well.

The key topic of the meeting was the revision of previous agreements between the two countries. As Sergey Lavrov noted, many contracts and memoranda have been signed in recent years, many of which were concluded in completely different political and economic conditions.

"We are well aware that the new authorities in Damascus are interested in bringing the entire legislative framework of their communication with foreign countries in line with the interests of the Syrian people," the Russian Foreign Minister stressed. — We have agreed to conduct an inventory of all available agreements. This topic has already been touched upon. There were some contacts, but today we decided that this process should be put on a regular basis."

The first public case of a review of such contracts was the cancellation by the Syrian government of the investment agreement on the management of the seaport in Tartus, concluded with the Russian company STG Engineering in 2019. Later, the management of the port was transferred to the Emirati operator DP World.

— The visit is of great importance, first of all for Syria and personally for al—Sharaa, in terms of retaining power and whitewashing its image in the economic sphere. And, of course, to solve economic issues necessary for the stability of government, the state and security, both political and military," Vladimir Akhmedov, a researcher at the Center for the Study of General Problems of the Modern East at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.

According to al-Shibani, during the meeting with Minister Lavrov, the parties "agreed to review previous agreements and adapt them to the new reality." He expressed hope that Russia would play an active role in restoring the republic's economy, in accordance with international law and the interests of Syrian society.

The revision of the economic agreements between Russia and Syria is a necessary step. Economic and military-technical relations form the basis of bilateral cooperation, and economic projects will not work without updating old agreements, Vladimir Akhmedov believes.

The expert considers the catastrophic state of the economy to be the main threat to the existence of the Syrian state. Western countries are not ready to seriously invest in its restoration, but Russia alone will not be able to pull out this process, the expert noted, adding that the economic revival of Syria is possible only with the involvement of other players within the framework of the emerging multipolar system of international relations in the Middle East.

The intensification of the work of the intergovernmental trade and economic commission was also discussed. Lavrov said that Russia has already appointed its own co-chairman. "As soon as the Syrian part of this mechanism is formed, we will ask this intergovernmental body to review all available agreements and contracts in order to find mutually beneficial, mutually acceptable ways for Russia to participate in helping to restore the Syrian economy," the minister said.

Yuri Mavashev, an orientalist and lecturer at the Department of World Politics and World Economy at the RANEPA Institute of Management, believes that the contours of economic cooperation between Russia and Syria can be seen in the key characteristics of the Syrian economy.

— The country's industrial sector is based on the oil, textile, food processing, beverage and tobacco industries, as well as phosphate mining. Agriculture relies on wheat, barley, cotton, sugar cane, as well as meat and dairy farming and poultry farming," he said.

The head of the Defense Ministry of the Syrian Transitional Government, Murhaf Abu Qasra, also arrived in Russia. Two Russian military facilities are located in the republic — the Navy's MTO station in Tartus and the Khmeimim airbase in Latakia. The base in Tartus has been operating since 1971, and the Air Force air group was deployed in 2015 to support the fight against ISIS (banned in the Russian Federation). According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin, contacts with Damascus on the issue of maintaining the bases continue and are aimed, among other things, at ensuring the safety of Russians. In December 2024, President Vladimir Putin proposed using the bases to deliver humanitarian aid.

The situation in Syria

The ministers paid special attention to the situation in the Syrian province of Al-Suwayda, where the situation has sharply worsened in recent weeks. The Russian Foreign Minister recalled that the events in the region, as well as the incidents on the Syrian coast, "clearly demonstrated the challenges that Syrian society continues to face in the context of the transition period."

On July 13, clashes broke out in the province between Arab tribal militias and Druze self-defense forces. On July 15, units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense of Syria entered the region, beginning a sweep. On July 19, Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced a truce with the participation of international mediators. According to a source from the Druze community, about 100 women and 200 men and children were captured as a result of the conflict.

Russia supports the efforts of international humanitarian organizations to stabilize the situation in the region. "We positively assess the initiative of the International Committee of the Red Cross to negotiate with the Syrian authorities on the deployment of a presence in Suwayda. This will certainly help to stabilize the situation and prevent new outbreaks of violence," Lavrov said.

Asaad al-Shibani rejected earlier international accusations of discrimination against the Druze minority living in the province. "There is no plan or intention on the part of the central government to oppress this community. It is simply being used by external forces to split the country," he said. According to him, Israel is systematically attacking settlements in Suwayda, seeking to provoke tension and disperse it to a new civil war.

Speaking about Israel, al-Shibani also highlighted Russia's position regarding airstrikes on Syrian territory. "These strikes violate international law and hinder the reconstruction of our country. Russia categorically disagrees with their continuation," he stressed.

The Moscow talks marked the symbolic beginning of a new stage in Russian-Syrian relations. According to Lavrov, Moscow is grateful to the new authorities of the republic for their efforts to ensure the safety of Russian citizens and facilities in the country. The Minister also expressed hope that the difficulties of the transition period will be overcome.

"The negotiations were very useful. The Syrian delegation has several more rounds of negotiations planned for today in various instances in Moscow. I am sure that all this will play a positive role in the development of our dialogue," Lavrov said.

Asaad al-Shibani, in turn, thanked the Russian side for the invitation and stressed that the visit "was the embodiment of a common desire to open a new page of cooperation."