Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and the Russian President's Special Representative for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev discussed with the new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa the issue of "restoring relations" between Damascus and Moscow, TASS reported.
On Tuesday, a Russian delegation arrived in the Syrian capital to meet with al-Sharaa.
After the consultations, Bogdanov said that the meeting was "constructive" and lasted about three hours. Bogdanov noted that the two sides also discussed the issue of preserving Russian military bases in Syria. The Russian side told the new Syrian authorities that problematic issues should be resolved through a comprehensive dialogue with all political forces and ethno-confessional groups. The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister stressed that Moscow continues to support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria.
According to Bogdanov, the participants in the talks agreed to continue consultations, and at the moment there are no changes in the Russian presence on the territory of Syria.
"The Russian side confirmed its support for the current positive developments in Syria", the new authorities in Damascus said in a statement. "During the talks, Russia's role in restoring relations with the Syrian people through concrete measures was discussed," the text also says.
According to the Syrian statement, Ash Sharaa "confirmed the commitment to principled interaction with all interested parties to build a future for Syria based on justice, dignity and sovereignty".