A Syrian source familiar with the course of the negotiations told Reuters that the new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa demanded that Moscow extradite the former president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia when the rebels seized power in the country.
The Syrian news agency Sana reported that Damascus also wants Russia, which supported Assad in the civil war in the country, to restore trust through "concrete measures such as compensation, reconstruction, and restoration".
The new Syrian administration stated after negotiations with the Russian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov that it "emphasized that the restoration of relations should take into account past mistakes, respect the will of the Syrian people, and serve their interests". However, a Syrian source told Reuters that the Russians did not want to acknowledge mistakes, and the only agreement reached was to continue discussions.
Russia, whose troops and air force supported Assad for years in the fight against Syrian rebels, seeks to retain its naval base in Tartus and the Khmeimim airbase in the area of the port city of Latakia. Losing them would deal a serious blow to its military capability in the region and beyond.
The former dictator of Syria, Bashar Assad, fled the country in early December when Islamist forces were approaching Damascus. Western news agencies reported that his escape was organized by Russian special services. On December 8, Assad appeared in Moscow.
Syria terminated the agreement with the company "Stroytransgaz" on investments in the port—a contract was concluded for 49 years. The base in Tartus was leased for the same period, providing Russia with the only direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. Information that Russia failed to negotiate the retention of its bases was confirmed by Bloomberg sources.