Syria’s interim government faces numerous challenges as it sets about rebuilding the country following the downfall of Bashar Assad on December 8. Led by Ahmad As-Sharaa, the new leadership is striving for national reconciliation while simultaneously confronting ongoing instability.
The foreign minister of the interim government, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, has said that “the joy of the people will remain incomplete”until Syria’s territorial integrity is fully restored and displaced persons and refugees return to their homeland. According to the United Nations, more than 115,000 people have returned to Syria since the fall of Assad. However, a significant number of Syrians remain outside the country.
On the international stage, the interim government is taking steps to establish relations with various nations, including a recent ministerial meeting in Saudi Arabia with representatives of both Western and Middle Eastern nations, as well as Al-Shaibani’s tour of several neighboring countries. Meetings between Syrian and Russian representatives have also taken place in both Damascus and Moscow.
Within Syria, discussions continue regarding the nation’s future political structure. Hadi al-Bahra, the leader of the Syrian opposition in exile, stated that the revolution is not yet complete despite Assad’s fall and must continue until justice, freedom, and democracy are fully achieved. He underscored the need for an inclusive transition process involving all factions, along with the drafting of a new constitution, to be followed by a referendum and elections.
These developments highlight the complexity of the challenges facing Syria’s interim government as it seeks to reconcile different factions and rebuild the country amidst ongoing instability.
One of the key aspects of the interim government’s foreign policy is engagement with Russia. A January 28 visit to Damascus by a Russian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Kremlin Special Envoy for Syria Aleksandr Lavrentyev highlighted ongoing discussions on bilateral cooperation and the future of Russian military bases in Syria.
The new Syrian leadership stressed the need to acknowledge “past mistakes” and emphasized the importance of reparations and reconstruction to rebuild trust between the two nations. Russia expressed its willingness to provide essential assistance in Syria’s post-crisis recovery, reaffirming its support for the country’s unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. That meeting was followed up in Moscow, with talks between Bogdanov and the Syrian ambassador, initiated by the Syrian side.
Despite Western pressure, Syria’s leadership understands that cooperation with Russia could play a crucial role in the country’s recovery. Moscow, in turn, can offer Damascus food security, assistance in rebuilding its army, and the modernization of its military capabilities, which were significantly weakened during the conflict. With Western diplomacy becoming more active, Syrian authorities must carefully navigate between competing geopolitical interests to safeguard national interests and maintain the country’s independence.
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