Syria ministers discuss military cooperation with Putin in Russia: Report

Talks held betwixt Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and the Russian president.

Syria’s overseas and defence ministers met Russian President Vladimir Putin successful Moscow and held discussions connected expanding “strategic practice successful the subject industries sector”, Syrian authorities media has reported.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) ⁠said that Putin’s gathering connected Tuesday with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani and Minister of Defence Murhaf Abu Qasra ‌focused connected political, economical and subject issues of “mutual interest”, but that “particular emphasis” was connected defence.

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According to SANA, Putin and the Syrian ministers discussed a scope of defence-related matters, including processing subject practice to fortify the Syrian army’s capabilities and ‌modernising its equipment, transferring expertise and practice successful probe and development.

“During the meeting, some sides reviewed ways to beforehand subject and method concern successful a mode that strengthens the antiaircraft capabilities of the Syrian Arab Army and keeps gait with modern developments successful subject industries,” SANA reported.

The 2 sides besides discussed governmental and economical issues, including the “importance of continued governmental and diplomatic coordination betwixt Damascus and Moscow successful planetary forums”, according to the quality agency.

On the economical front, the talks addressed expanding Syrian-Russian cooperation, including successful reconstruction projects, infrastructure improvement and concern successful Syria.

Putin besides reaffirmed Russian “steadfast support” for Syria and its territorial integrity, portion renewing “Moscow’s condemnation of repeated Israeli violations of Syrian territory, describing them arsenic a nonstop menace to determination information and stability”.

The ministers’ sojourn to Moscow is the latest by Syria’s caller authorities since the removal from powerfulness past December of the country’s longtime ruler and Moscow’s erstwhile state successful Damascus, Bashar al-Assad.

Russia was a cardinal protagonist of al-Assad during Syria’s astir 14-year civilian war, providing captious subject assistance that kept the Assad authorities successful power, including Russian aerial enactment that rained aerial strikes connected rebel-held areas.

Despite al-Assad and his household fleeing to Russia aft the toppling of his regime, Moscow is anxious to physique bully relations with the caller authorities successful Damascus.

Moscow, successful particular, is hoping to unafraid agreements to proceed operating the Khmeimim airbase and the Tartous naval basal connected Syria’s Mediterranean coast, wherever Russian forces proceed to beryllium present.

In October, Syria’s caller president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, visited Russia, wherever helium said his authorities ‍would honour each the past deals struck betwixt Damascus and Moscow, a pledge that suggested that the 2 Russian subject bases were unafraid successful the post-Assad period.

Putin said ‍at the clip of al-Sharaa’s sojourn ⁠that Moscow was acceptable to bash each it could to enactment connected what helium called the “many absorbing and utile beginnings” discussed by the 2 sides connected renewing relations.

Russian ‌state media connected Tuesday quoted the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, arsenic saying that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would besides clasp talks with ‍his Syrian counterpart, Al-Shaibani, during the Syrian delegation’s visit.

During a sojourn to Moscow successful July, Al-Shaibani said his state wanted Russia “by our side”.

“The existent play is afloat of assorted challenges and threats, but it is besides an accidental to physique a agreed and beardown Syria. And, of course, we are funny successful having Russia by our broadside connected this path,” Al-Shaibani told Lavrov astatine the time.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a gathering with Russian President Vladimir Putin astatine the Kremlin successful Moscow, Russia, connected October 15, 2025 [Pool: Alexander Zemlianichenko via Reuters]