Khaberni - Syrian Defense Minister Marhef Abu Qasra discussed on Sunday with a high-level Russian military delegation, led by Yunus Bek Yevkurov, the Russian Deputy Defense Minister, ways to enhance military cooperation and coordination mechanisms between the two sides, in a visit described as one of the largest Russian delegations to reach Damascus in years.
Government sources told Al Jazeera that the Russian delegation includes about 190 individuals from various ministries and agencies, indicating an expansion in the cooperation pathway between the two countries after a long period of estrangement and tension.
According to the Syrian News Agency, the two parties reviewed the fields of military cooperation and ways to develop coordination to serve mutual interests and to align with the new Syrian government's directions, which adopt a policy of greater openness in its foreign relations.
These discussions follow the visit made by the Syrian Defense Minister to Moscow on October 28, where he discussed with his Russian counterpart joint military issues and the security cooperation file.
The Russian move in Damascus was not limited to the military aspect, as the Syrian Minister of Sports, Mohammad Sameh Hamad, discussed with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Degtyarev future cooperation prospects and the exchange of expertise in the sports field.
These visits are seen as part of a significant shift in Syrian-Russian relations after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in 2024, which granted him "humanitarian asylum" after maintaining special relations with it.
Since the formation of the new Syrian government and its adoption of a more open diplomatic approach, relations between Damascus and Moscow have witnessed a series of high-level visits and communications. The Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shar'a made his first visit to Russia on October 15, since taking office.
This came after Syrian factions took complete control over the country in December 2024, ending 61 years of Ba'ath Party rule, including 53 years of the Assad family’s reign.
Throughout his quarter-century rule, Moscow was a major supporter of the Assad regime, intervening with its forces on his behalf starting in 2015, and especially through airstrikes, played a key role in tilting the balance in his favor on several fronts, and he fled to Russia after the entry of opposition forces into the capital Damascus.
Russia maintains a military presence in Syria through its Tartus naval base and Hmeimim air base, considered fundamental pillars of its influence in the region, reflecting the strategic importance Moscow places on its relations with the new Syrian leadership.
