Syria’s FM heads to Moscow in first post-Assad visit

Shafaq News – Damascus

Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani will visit Moscow for the first time since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, a Russian media outlet revealed on Wednesday.

Syrian sources told Russia Today that al-Shibani is expected to meet several senior Russian officials during the visit, though it remains unclear whether a meeting with President Vladimir Putin is on the agenda.

Following the collapse of the al-Assad government, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced that “al-Assad left Syria and ordered a peaceful transfer of power,” adding that al-Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow, where they were granted asylum on humanitarian grounds.

At the time, while initial signs suggested limited Russian troop withdrawals, Moscow has maintained control over its key strategic assets, including the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartus naval facility. The new Syrian leadership has expressed interest in preserving strategic ties, prompting Russia to engage through renewed diplomatic channels.