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Moscow Reaffirms Dialogue with Damascus, Expects Respect for Russian Interests

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov (File photo – Reuters)
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov (File photo – Reuters)
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Moscow Reaffirms Dialogue with Damascus, Expects Respect for Russian Interests

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov (File photo – Reuters)
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov (File photo – Reuters)

Russia has reaffirmed its ongoing diplomatic and military dialogue with the Syrian government, stressing the importance of safeguarding its national interests, particularly regarding its military presence in Syria.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that communications between Moscow and Damascus remain active on a number of sensitive issues, including the future of Russian military bases and the humanitarian challenges stemming from the influx of displaced Syrians into the Russian-operated Hmeimim airbase in Latakia.

In remarks to the state-run TASS agency published Wednesday, Ryabkov noted that all issues are being discussed, despite a noticeable slowdown in public communications between the two allies in recent weeks.

He stressed that Moscow expects Syria to act in a way that respects Russia’s strategic interests, particularly as the two sides revisit the terms of longstanding military agreements.

Addressing the continued presence of thousands of Syrians at Hmeimim, Ryabkov said Russia is in contact with Syrian authorities to resolve the matter.

“We anticipate that this issue, along with others, will be resolved in a manner that protects our national interests and addresses the humanitarian concerns involved,” he said.

Around 9,000 Syrians reportedly sought refuge at the base after clashes erupted earlier this year between the new Syrian authorities and loyalists of ousted president Bashar al-Assad in Latakia, Tartus, and Homs.

Russia has been seeking to redefine its relationship with Damascus since Assad’s removal. A key step came in January when Russian presidential envoy Mikhail Bogdanov visited Syria for the first time since the leadership change.

Following the visit, Moscow signaled progress in “breaking the ice,” with both sides reportedly agreeing to explore a new framework for cooperation, including renegotiating Russia’s military footprint at Hmeimim and Tartus.

Damascus, for its part, has requested Russia’s support in implementing transitional justice, including lifting protection for former regime figures and repatriating allegedly embezzled funds believed to be held in Russia - claims the Kremlin denies.

Moscow has also expressed willingness to support Syria’s internal political dialogue, offer infrastructure reconstruction assistance, and potentially clear Syrian debt.

In March, President Vladimir Putin sent a letter to Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa affirming Russia’s readiness to deepen cooperation in all fields and backing Syria’s efforts to stabilize the country.

The timing of the letter was seen as significant, particularly after reports indirectly accused Moscow of enabling rogue military actions by Assad loyalists.

Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov extended an official invitation to his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shibani, to visit Moscow, a move reportedly suggested by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

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Arab World

Israel, Lebanon Discuss Proposal for Transfer of Some Southern Territory to Lebanese Army

A woman inspects the rubble of a collapsed building in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Fadel ITANI / AFP)
A woman inspects the rubble of a collapsed building in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Fadel ITANI / AFP)
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Israel, Lebanon Discuss Proposal for Transfer of Some Southern Territory to Lebanese Army

A woman inspects the rubble of a collapsed building in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Fadel ITANI / AFP)
A woman inspects the rubble of a collapsed building in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Fadel ITANI / AFP)

Talks between Israel and Lebanon include discussion of a US-backed proposal for Israeli forces to hand over some of the territory they have invaded during the war with Hezbollah to the Lebanese military, according to Israeli and Lebanese officials.

The Israeli officials said the Lebanese troops involved would undergo US training and vetting to ensure they are not linked to Hezbollah, while Israel would maintain a military presence in a buffer zone along the border.

The proposed "pilot" project is being discussed in the latest round ⁠of talks between Lebanese ⁠and Israeli officials, which got underway in Washington on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Rejected by Hezbollah, this diplomatic track has been overshadowed as Tehran has made Lebanon a focal point of its negotiations with the US.

Asked about the Israeli officials' comments, a senior Lebanese security official said discussions were ongoing in Washington ⁠and that Wednesday would see specific military-to-military discussions, including on the pilot zones.

The Lebanese official said the discussions would focus on a timeline for withdrawal and that any plan would emerge only after the final day of talks on Thursday. The official did not respond to a request for comment on the Israeli officials' account of US vetting of Lebanese troops.

The latest war between Hezbollah and Israel erupted when the group opened fire at Israel in solidarity with ⁠Tehran in ⁠the early days of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

A ceasefire has largely held since Sunday, even as Israeli forces have remained deployed deep inside southern Lebanon, where they have seized a self-declared security zone, saying they need this to shield northern Israel from a Hezbollah attack.

The interim agreement signed by Iran and the US last week requires both countries and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent end of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and to ensure Lebanon's "territorial integrity and sovereignty."

Arab World

Macron Seeks New Int’l Force for South Lebanon After UNIFIL Mandate Ends

This picture taken from a position in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon shows a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) armored vehicle driving past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on June 22, 2026. (AFP)
This picture taken from a position in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon shows a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) armored vehicle driving past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on June 22, 2026. (AFP)
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Macron Seeks New Int’l Force for South Lebanon After UNIFIL Mandate Ends

This picture taken from a position in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon shows a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) armored vehicle driving past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on June 22, 2026. (AFP)
This picture taken from a position in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon shows a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) armored vehicle driving past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on June 22, 2026. (AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron pressed ahead with efforts to shape a new international force for southern Lebanon after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires at the end of this year.

Macron spoke by phone on Tuesday with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, discussing developments in Lebanon and the region in light of the US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland. They also tackled the situation in southern Lebanon amid the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the future of international forces operating in the south, and international efforts to support Lebanon.

In his call with Aoun, talks focused on “the situation in the south and the next steps after the announcement of the ceasefire.”

They reviewed the outcome of last week’s G7 summit in the French city of Evian, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency. Aoun thanked Macron for the position issued by the summit on Lebanon.

UNIFIL’s future took up a central part of the discussion. The two leaders examined the period after its mission ends, especially given the willingness of several European countries, with Lebanon’s backing, to keep forces inside the international area of operations.

Macron told Aoun he would contact several countries to clarify their positions, particularly as UNIFIL’s withdrawal from Lebanon is set to begin at the start of 2027.

The call also covered Lebanese-Syrian relations and coordination between the two countries. Aoun welcomed remarks by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in his latest television interview, in which he stressed Syria’s commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

Sharaa said Syria did not intend to intervene militarily in Lebanon, despite comments by US President Donald Trump.

France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visit the Vivatech fair in Paris, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP)

Sharaa stressed that any Syrian role would go exclusively through the Lebanese state and not through other parties, and that Damascus wanted to bolster Lebanon’s stability and strengthen its official institutions.

During Macron’s call with Salam, the two leaders “continued discussions on the results of Salam’s recent visit to Paris, as well as an assessment of the negotiations that began in Switzerland and their repercussions for the region and Lebanon.”

They discussed efforts to secure the necessary conditions for two planned conferences, one to support the army and security forces and another to support reconstruction in wake of the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The calls come as the future of the international forces in southern Lebanon emerges as one of the most prominent issues under global discussion. At the G7 summit, leaders devoted a significant part of their talks to Lebanon, focusing on the need to find an alternative to UNIFIL once its mandate ends.

According to diplomatic information, discussions are moving toward the creation of a multinational force in which France and other European countries, including Germany, Spain and Italy, have shown readiness to participate.

Its core mission would be to support and train the Lebanese army, equipping it with the capabilities needed to expand its deployment and extend state authority, thereby reinforcing stability and implementing security arrangements in southern Lebanon.

Arab World

Egypt-Syria Meetings Give Rapprochement New Momentum

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani meet in Jordan on Monday evening. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani meet in Jordan on Monday evening. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt-Syria Meetings Give Rapprochement New Momentum

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani meet in Jordan on Monday evening. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani meet in Jordan on Monday evening. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

A series of recent meetings between Egyptian and Syrian officials has given momentum to rapprochement between the two countries, observers said, particularly after a dispute over Syria’s diplomatic mission in Cairo was resolved.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani on Monday on the sidelines of an Arab League meeting in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

In a statement on Tuesday, Egypt’s foreign ministry said the two ministers had affirmed “the depth of the historic ties between Egypt and Syria ... and the importance of building on the visit made by the Syrian foreign minister to Cairo in early May.”

They welcomed plans to hold the second Egyptian-Syrian government meeting at the senior official level, with ministries and agencies responsible for trade and investment in both countries participating, to discuss practical steps to boost economic cooperation.

“Relations with Egypt are moving along their natural path, and Syria is keen to develop them,” Mohammad Taha al-Ahmad, Director of the Arab and Regional Affairs Department at Syria’s foreign ministry, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The two countries had held talks in recent weeks after Egypt raised reservations over names proposed by Syria to represent its diplomatic mission in Cairo, delaying arrangements for the mission’s arrival.

The issue was resolved after Syria put forward another nominee, Yahya Diab, to lead its mission in Egypt.

Amr al-Shobaki, an Egyptian political analyst at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said regional challenges made it necessary to develop Egyptian-Syrian ties.

He said cultural, social and political links between the two peoples were strong, adding that Egyptian authorities “had concerns more than disagreements with the new governing system in Syria, given Egypt’s well-known experience with political Islam.”

“Those concerns are being gradually overcome according to two basic principles: respect for each country’s experience and political model, and non-interference in the affairs of the other,” he added. He said Egypt had already established those principles in its relationship with Türkiye.

“The successive Egyptian-Syrian meetings point to an improvement in relations according to the same two principles,” he said.

In late April, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Arab-European Consultative Summit held in Cyprus.

Media outlets in Cairo and Damascus said at the time that the two had held “friendly” discussions on regional developments and ways to strengthen cooperation.

Damascus hosted the first Egyptian-Syrian economic and investment forum in January, with the participation of leaders and business figures from the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce. The forum aimed to build active partnerships between the two countries and explore cooperation in trade, industry, services, infrastructure and reconstruction.