Damascus Seeks to Strengthen Security Cooperation with Moscow to Develop the Police Sector

The Syrian Ministry of Interior indicated the possibility of expanding security cooperation between Damascus and Moscow in the coming period, with a focus on developing the police sector and enhancing its efficiency, within the framework of existing security agreements between the two countries.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Nour al-Din al-Baba, stated in remarks to Russia’s Novosti agency that cooperation in the fields of security and policing takes place “when there are common threats and within prior understandings,” adding that the exchange of security information and expertise “remains possible whenever it serves the interests of both countries.”

These statements come after the visit made by Syria’s transitional Prime Minister, Ahmad al-Shar’a, to Moscow, where he met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and discussed several issues, including the Russian military presence in Syria and the role of Russian companies in reconstruction and revitalizing the local economy.

In recent weeks, technical and military meetings have also been held between officers from both sides, addressing areas of training and readiness enhancement, as part of the transitional government’s efforts to restructure its security and military institutions following the recent political changes.

In a related context, the Secretary-General of the Syrian Presidency, Maher al-Shar’a, discussed with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the political, security, and economic fields, according to a statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vershinin affirmed that Moscow “maintains intensive contacts with Damascus,” noting that the work of the Russian–Syrian Joint Governmental Committee for Trade and Economic Cooperation constitutes “an important milestone in the course of developing relations between the two countries.”

It is worth noting that Russia continues to maintain a strategic presence in Syria since its military intervention in 2015, through the Hmeimim Air Base and Tartus Naval Base, both of which have undergone continuous technical upgrades in recent years, within the framework of the new security understandings between the two countries.