Khaberni - Following the reports indicating that the new Syrian authorities are negotiating with Moscow regarding the handover of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an official comment arrived.
Assad's trial
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that the issue of the trial of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been closed for a long time, and Russia's partners are fully aware of the circumstances of his arrival in Russia.
Lavrov said, in response to a question about his position on the demands for the trial of the former Syrian president, "This matter has been closed for a long time. Our partners are fully aware of how everything happened, and how Bashar al-Assad and his family ended up in Russia."
He added in an interview with the "Turkish" newspaper and "TGRT" channel, that Assad is in Russia for purely humanitarian reasons, emphasizing that he has no role in Syrian affairs.
This came after the Kremlin spokesman refused yesterday to comment on the topic where Dmitry Peskov said: "We do not comment on the Assad issue in any way."
Yesterday, President Al-Sharif visited Moscow, where he met with President Putin and discussed regional issues and mutual cooperation.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Al-Sharif's efforts to ensure the unity of Syrian territory, following the Syrian army's control over large areas in the north and east of the country, which were under the control of Kurdish fighters who withdrew there amid military escalation.
The future of the bases
It should be noted that the Syrian president's visit to Moscow is not the first one, as he visited it on October 15, 2025, where he then met the Russian president at the Kremlin palace.
Since the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, Damascus under Al-Sharif has adopted a conciliatory tone towards Moscow. Weeks after the fall of Assad, Russia sent officials to Damascus, before Al-Sharif visited Moscow in October last year, and received a warm welcome from President Putin.
Russia aims to secure the future of its two military bases, the naval base in Tartus and the airbase in Hmeimim, which are its only military sites outside the former Soviet Union.
Before Al-Sharif's second visit, the Russian Foreign Ministry affirmed its respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in its comments on developments in northern and eastern Syria and the confrontation with the Syrian Democratic Forces "SDF".
