Sources Reveal Reasons Behind Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shar’s Visit to Moscow
Informed sources told Al Arabiya/Al Hadath that the head of Syria’s Transitional Government, Ahmad Al-Shar, will make an official visit to Moscow tomorrow, Wednesday, despite the postponement of the Arab summit in the Russian capital where he was scheduled to participate.
According to the sources, the visit aims to discuss the future of the Russian military presence in Syria, including the naval base in Tartus and the airbase in Hmeimim, Reuters reported.
The sources also explained that during his visit, Al-Shar will request from the Russian side the handover of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is currently residing in Russia, in preparation for his trial before the Syrian judiciary over what the new authorities describe as “violations against the Syrian people.”
The visit comes hours after Al-Shar’s statements to CBS News in which he affirmed that his country will use “all available legal and diplomatic means” to hold Assad accountable, while emphasizing that Damascus “does not seek conflict with Moscow.”
In late September, Damascus’s investigating judge Tawfiq Al-Ali announced the issuance of a warrant in absentia for Bashar al-Assad, as a prelude to referring the case to Interpol.
It is noteworthy that Al-Shar assumed leadership of Syria following opposition forces’ entry into Damascus in December, which led to the fall of the Assad regime and the formation of a new transitional government. Since then, Moscow has been trying to maintain relations with the new government, providing political support at international forums.
According to diplomatic sources, the Syrian Chief of Staff arrived in Moscow earlier this week to finalize preparations for Al-Shar’s visit and his anticipated meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
