Syria's Sharaa to visit Moscow on Wednesday
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to visit Moscow on Wednesday, according to pro-government Syria TV and a source familiar with the matter, despite the postponement of an Arab summit he had planned to attend there.
Sharaa is set to hold talks on the continued presence of Russia’s naval base in Tartous and its air base in Hmeimim, a Syrian official source said, News.Az reports citing Reuters.
Sharaa, who once headed the Syrian branch of al Qaeda, led rebels into Damascus in December and installed a new government. Assad fled the capital and was granted asylum in Russia.
Moscow has since attempted to preserve ties with Syria's new authorities, including offering Damascus diplomatiac support over Israeli strikes on Syrian territory.
In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in Moscow.
Shibani's visit was the first since Assad's ouster.
Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Kinda Makieh and Maya Gebeily, writing by Jaidaa Taha; editing by Mark Heinrich, Rod Nickel
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