Qatar brings together Syrian and Iraqi leaders to repair relations
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Dubai Eye
14 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Russia's Putin meets Syrian foreign minister in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Syria's foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani in Moscow, the first visit by a top official from Syria's new government. Lavrov said Moscow would like Syria's new President Ahmed al-Sharaa to attend a summit between Russia and Arab League member states in Moscow in October. "Of course, we hope that President al-Sharaa will be able to take part in the first Russia-Arab League summit, which is scheduled for October 15," Lavrov said. Moscow has attempted to preserve ties with Syria's new authorities, including offering Damascus diplomatic support over Israeli strikes on Syrian territory. Putin received Shibani and his accompanying delegation at the Kremlin, Syria's state news agency SANA reported without providing further details on the meeting. At a joint news conference, Shibani said his trip to Moscow was intended "to start a necessary discussion ... based on the lessons of the past, to formulate the future". He said he had agreed with Lavrov on establishing two committees tasked with re-evaluating past agreements between Syria and Russia. "There are many opportunities for a united strong Syria, we hope Russia stands with us on this pathway," Shibani said. Lavrov thanked Syrian authorities for ensuring the security of two Russian bases in the country, where Moscow continues to maintain a presence, as well as backing the removal of sanctions on Syria.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Middle East Eye
Syrian foreign minister in Russia for first meeting since Assad's overthrow
Syria's foreign minister said his country wanted a 'correct and sound' relationship with Russia on Thursday as he visited Moscow in an apparent attempt to mend relations with the erstwhile enemy. In December, Syria's longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels and he fled to Russia, which had been his staunch ally during the 14-year Syrian civil war. Moscow has had decades of close ties with Damascus, which deepened during its ultimately unsuccessful military intervention on Assad's behalf. These included several economic agreements. On Thursday, Syria's new foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, spoke with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov about maintaining agreements struck with Assad's government, as well as the future of Russia's military bases in the country. 'The relationship between nations is a historical and humanitarian one, but some governments are spoiling this relationship,' Shaibani said at a news conference. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'We are here today to represent the new Syria, as we want to establish a correct and sound relationship between the two countries based on cooperation and mutual respect.' He added: 'Of course, there are a number of factors that determine and complicate these relations on the ground.' Russia's naval base in Tartus and its airbase at Hmeimim are Moscow's only official military outposts outside the former Soviet Union. They were key to Russia's support of the Assad government, which prevented his overthrow for many years after the 2011 uprising. Lavrov said Moscow was ready to help Syria rebuild after more than a decade of devastating conflict and to review 'agreements and contracts concluded under different conditions', and said their decision to remain allies 'doesn't depend on the political situation or changes of government'. Neither minister said whether there had been any discussion of the status of the military bases. Assurances Despite providing a haven for Assad, Russia has quickly moved to try to build connections with the new government in Syria. Footage released in January appeared to show Russia removing vehicles and containers from its base in Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. Why Syria needs to play the long game against Israel Read More » Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa spoke for the first time in February, with the former saying he was ready to reconsider agreements signed between Russia and Syria under Assad. 'Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia's invariable readiness to help improve the socio-economic situation in Syria, including the provision of humanitarian aid to its residents,' the Russian presidency said at the time. Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra is also part of the delegation to Moscow. In February, he told the Washington Post that this government was open to allowing Russia to retain its bases if there were 'benefits for Syria'. The status of Assad, however, could remain a sticking point. Shaibani called on Russia to support a 'transitional justice' process in Syria, possibly referencing Assad's presence in the country. He also said Syria had formed a committee to review existing agreements with Russia. In January, Sharaa reportedly requested Russia extradite Assad. The Russian government refused to comment on the matter at the time. Israeli attacks Shaibani's discussions with Lavrov also touched upon Israel's recent attacks on southern Syria. Since the fall of Assad, Israel has repeatedly bombed Syrian military targets, and invaded even more Syrian territory than the Golan Heights it occupied in 1967. Earlier this month, Israeli attacks intensified, which Israel said were done in support of the Druze minority. However, the raids only raised communal tensions, which broke out into sectarian clashes that killed about 1,200 Druze and Bedouin Syrians. Speaking alongside Lavrov, Shaibani said that Israel's attacks on Syria posed a serious threat to his country's recovery 'These attacks not only represent a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, but also disrupt the process of reconstruction, exacerbate the suffering of civilians, and fuel cycles of violence and instability,' he said. 'We have received a commitment from Russia to reject these attacks and stand with Syria to prevent these violations.' Lavrov concurred with his counterpart and called on members of the international community to help de-escalate the situation. 'We have always been against the use of Syrian territory as an arena for geopolitical conflicts to settle scores between various countries,' he said. Russia and Israel have had a close working relationship in Syria, where Israeli attacks repeatedly struck Hezbollah and Iranian-linked targets. In 2019, Russia helped recover the remains of an Israeli soldier buried in Syria.
The National
a day ago
- The National
ISIS Swede convicted for role in 2015 killing of Jordanian pilot
A Swedish man was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for his role in the 2015 killing of a Jordanian pilot by ISIS, Swedish media reported. The 26-year-old Jordanian, First Lt Muath Al Kasasbeh, was taken captive after his F-16 fighter jet crashed near the extremists' de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria. He was put in a cage that was then set on fire in early 2015. Swedish prosecutors said Osama Krayem, 32, travelled to Syria in September 2014 to fight for ISIS. Armed and masked, Krayem was among those who forced Lt Al Kasasbeh into the cage, the court heard. The pilot died when the cage was set ablaze. Krayem, who was born in Sweden to a Palestinian mother and a Syrian father, was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday, Swedish news agency TT reported. He was indicted by Swedish prosecutors in May on suspicion of committing serious war crimes and terrorist crimes in Syria. He was previously convicted in France and Brussels for deadly ISIS attacks in those countries. Prosecutors in Belgium had described him as unrepentant. The airman became the first known foreign military pilot to fall into the militants' hands after the US-led international coalition began its aerial campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq in 2014. Jordan, a close US ally, was a member of the coalition and the pilot's killing appeared aimed at pressuring the government of Jordan to leave the alliance. In a 20-minute video released in 2015, purportedly showing the killing of Lt Al Kasasbeh, he displayed signs of having been beaten. He was shown wearing an orange jumpsuit and standing in a cage outdoors as a masked militant ignites a line of fuel leading to it. The footage, widely released as part of the militant group's propaganda, sparked outrage and demonstrations in Jordan. In 2022, Krayem was among 20 men convicted by a special terrorism court in Paris for involvement in a wave of ISIS attacks in the French capital in 2015, targeting the Bataclan theatre, Paris cafes and the Stade de France. The assaults killed 130 people and injured hundreds. Krayem was sentenced to 30 years in prison, for charges including complicity to terrorist murder. French media reported that France agreed in March to turn Krayem over to Sweden for the investigation and trial. In 2023, a Belgian court sentenced Krayem, among others, to life in prison on charges of terrorist murder in connection with 2016 suicide bombings that killed 32 people and wounded hundreds at Brussels Airport and a busy subway station in the country's deadliest peacetime attack. Both the Paris and Brussels attacks were linked to the same ISIS network.
