SYRIANNEWS — broadcast
20260920 040000 UTC
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[00:00:04] intersects with security on the verge of, In my estimation, this or a short period
[00:00:08] administration and political
[00:00:15] and the proof is that military
[00:00:31] The Syrian coast,
[00:00:33] may be a delay the steps to restore the state's sovereignty over
[00:00:37] its institutions and facilities intersect
[00:00:39] with another path whose title is establishing security
[00:00:43] and prosecuting those whose names were linked
[00:00:45] to violations that affected Syrians. And between a diplomatic
[00:00:48] path that follows the arrangements for the Russian presence and a security
[00:00:52] path that opens the files of the past,
[00:00:55] the state is moving forward in addressing a heavy legacy according to parallel
[00:00:59] and integrated paths. At Latakia
[00:01:02] International Airport and Hmeimim Airbase,
[00:01:06] intelligence was waiting for them a field tour for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Assad Al-Shaibani,
[00:01:10] there as a training and meetings with Russian officials to follow up
[00:01:13] on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding
[00:01:16] the previous data and information signed between Damascus and Moscow and to determine
[00:01:20] the executive steps related to reorganizing
[00:01:23] the Russian presence, including those related
[00:01:26] to the Syrian state's takeover of the administration of civilian
[00:01:30] facilities.
[00:01:31] conducted by the internal security forces
[00:01:36] in cooperation with the Anti-Terrorism Department, resulted
[00:01:40] in the arrest of five senior officers
[00:01:44] and leaders of the Air Force in the defunct regime. The Internal Security said
[00:01:47] that investigations and military records
[00:01:51] showed
[00:01:53] Syrian sovereignty
[00:01:54] deliver supplies to their involvement in planning, managing, and executing aerial bombing operations
[00:01:58] that targeted populated areas and caused human casualties
[00:02:02] and widespread destruction. Between
[00:02:04] to entering this path with the follow-up of agreements that shape the features
[00:02:08] of the next stage and the follow-up of files
[00:02:10] that date back to the years of the revolution,
[00:02:14] the steps of implementing and consolidating the state's
[00:02:17] and follow up on matters authority on the ground and completing the accountability
[00:02:20] paths according to law continue. Two different
[00:02:23] paths in their tools meet at one
[00:02:26] title, which is building a new stage on national
[00:02:30] administration of facilities, security that protects Syrians,
[00:02:35] anywhere in the and justice that follows up on pending files. A new episode of
[00:02:38] the "Syria Time" program. Welcome.
[00:02:47] center, which does not
[00:02:50] of a few planes at the base, Mrs. Rama,
[00:03:00] Welcome back. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad
[00:03:04] Al-Shaibani, conducted a field tour inside Latakia
[00:03:07] to improve their relations International Airport. Following the tour, Minister Al-Shaibani held
[00:03:11] of the arms embargo. a meeting with a number of
[00:03:13] So they Russian officials to follow up on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding
[00:03:17] signed between the two sides and to monitor
[00:03:21] roots in this
[00:03:21] regarding the files that the progress of the agreed-upon executive steps. More details in this
[00:03:24] report.
[00:03:27] From the negotiating table to the airport tarmac,
[00:03:31] Syrian-Russian understandings are moving from the realm of politics
[00:03:34] for training the new Syrian to the realm of implementation,
[00:03:35] officers in the new state and in between, a path in which the Syrian state
[00:03:40] sovereignty of decision, reorders its presence and manages its strategic facilities
[00:03:42] on a coast where considerations of sovereignty
[00:03:46] and security intersect. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Hassan
[00:03:49] Al-Shaibani, conducted a field tour inside Latakia International
[00:03:52] Airport, accompanied by the Head of the General Staff,
[00:03:55] Major General Ali Al-Naasan, and commanders
[00:03:58] of the Air and Naval Forces, and the Head of Military
[00:04:01] Intelligence, in a scene that combined diplomatic
[00:04:04] decision-making with military and security institutions
[00:04:08] within a civilian facility of strategic
[00:04:14] Yes, I think in this al-Assad's army, which had importance. Following the tour, Minister Al-Shaibani held
[00:04:18] to cooperate with Russia We also have an interest a meeting with Russian officials to follow up on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides, which determines
[00:04:21] the fate of the two Russian
[00:04:23] and strategic balance bases in Hmeimim and Tartous, after
[00:04:26] a year and a half of intensive negotiations and discussions
[00:04:30] led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
[00:04:33] These understandings outline a path for reorganizing the Russian
[00:04:38] Airport and seized a presence on the Syrian coast and grant the state the administration of civilian facilities,
[00:04:42] primarily Hmeimim Airport and the fourth commercial
[00:04:45] pier in Tartous Port. The importance of Latakia Airport
[00:04:48] for cooperation, at lies in the fact that it and as a security and military represents a practical
[00:04:51] model for this path,
[00:04:53] countries because after the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport
[00:04:57] took over its administration in a step
[00:05:00] that returns the facility to the national civil aviation system. Thus,
[00:05:04] the tour does not appear to be a mere
[00:05:09] otherwise the government... So you agree protocol detail, but rather part of a reorganization of the state's roles
[00:05:12] and institutions on the coast, where sovereignty
[00:05:17] and diplomacy with
[00:05:20] understandings with the ability to
[00:05:22] on the ground.
[00:05:26] To talk more about this axis, our viewers, I am joined in the studio by Mr. Muhammad
[00:05:30] Nasser Al-Beqaai, military expert. Welcome, Mr. Muhammad, to this
[00:05:34] episode. We are also joined from Doha by Dr.
[00:05:37] Mahmoud Al-Hamza, political analyst. Welcome, Doctor, also
[00:05:41] with us in this episode and this particular
[00:05:44] axis. I will start with you, Mr. Muhammad Nasser. What
[00:05:48] is the significance of Minister Al-Shaibani's visit
[00:05:51] to Hmeimim Airbase and Latakia Airport
[00:05:54] at this time, and
[00:05:57] what are the most prominent files that could have been discussed
[00:06:01] there? Good evening, Ms. Rama, to you and the viewers
[00:06:05] of Al-Akhbariya channel and your honorable guest.
[00:06:08] In fact, Minister Al-Shaibani's talks during his visit
[00:06:11] to Hmeimim revolved around
[00:06:14] the three-month period that the Syrian government
[00:06:16] gave to the Russian state to schedule
[00:06:20] the conversion of these bases, Hmeimim Airbase
[00:06:23] and Tartous Naval Base, into joint bases for
[00:06:26] training. They gave the deadline starting from August
[00:06:30] and ending in November 2026.
[00:06:33] In fact, this issue has several aspects. Let's start
[00:06:37] with the basic aspects. The basic
[00:06:40] aspect is that
[00:06:43] today the Russian presence in Syria
[00:06:46] is a presence in joint bases. It is no longer called a Russian
[00:06:50] presence. Hmeimim Airbase is no longer a Russian
[00:06:53] base. It has become a joint Syrian-Russian base
[00:06:57] for training. So its name has changed, effectively
[00:07:01] and practically. Of course, the deadline is three months until November, ending
[00:07:04] with understandings and the withdrawal of most
[00:07:07] of the existing forces and maintaining the regulated
[00:07:11] forces that were
[00:07:21] agreed upon. And the Russian team. Okay, in your opinion,
[00:07:24] why did Minister Al-Shaibani choose to go to the base himself
[00:07:29] on the ground and discussions, instead of being summoned to offices
[00:07:33] in Damascus? In fact, Minister Al-Shaibani
[00:07:36] was the leader of the team that began talks with the Russians
[00:07:40] in this regard. And of course, when talks begin
[00:07:43] between any two teams in any country
[00:07:48] world, there is a building of trust
[00:07:51] between the two teams. And Minister Al-Shaibani is known
[00:07:54] for his credibility and his political shrewdness. In fact, of course,
[00:07:58] Minister Al-Shaibani was not alone in this visit or in the previous visit
[00:08:02] when the agreement was made, Ms. Rama. The previous agreement included
[00:08:06] a security team from the Syrian General Staff, the Ministry of Defense, intelligence,
[00:08:09] and security, and all entities
[00:08:12] related to the base and weapons and deployment.
[00:08:16] As for Minister Al-Shaibani, he decided,
[00:08:20] of course, if we are to speak honestly and frankly, Minister Al-Shaibani
[00:08:24] went to Syrian territory. Today, Hmeimim Airbase is no different
[00:08:27] from Damascus. It is Syrian territory with some
[00:08:30] regulated Russian presence. So it is
[00:08:34] a joint Syrian-Russian base. It is no
[00:08:37] longer a Russian base
[00:08:40] at all. Yes. Well, Dr. Mahmoud, welcome back.
[00:08:43] Doctor, in your opinion, with regard to these
[00:08:46] signed agreements and the progress of
[00:08:49] the operations to hand over these points to Syria definitively,
[00:08:53] what were, in your
[00:08:56] opinion, the most important files that were discussed as a first
[00:08:59] stage for the handover to begin during the coming
[00:09:02] days? First, good evening,
[00:09:06] Rama, and to the esteemed guest
[00:09:09] and all viewers. In fact, the
[00:09:12] visit of Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani to Hmeimim
[00:09:16] base is significant; it is not
[00:09:20] ordinary, because in August,
[00:09:23] it was agreed and a memorandum of understanding was signed
[00:09:26] that within three months, Latakia Airport must be handed
[00:09:30] over to the Syrian state to become an international
[00:09:33] civilian airport, and Hmeimim Military Base
[00:09:37] will be transformed into a training and educational
[00:09:39] center that no longer has any military
[00:09:43] status. Or it is no longer called a base. No, it will
[00:09:46] not be a base; it is a training, educational,
[00:09:49] and rehabilitation center. Of course, Tartous Port has
[00:09:53] another status because it will be reclaimed,
[00:09:56] as it is fundamentally civilian. The problem is in Hmeimim,
[00:09:59] considering there are military aircraft. So what
[00:10:03] is the reason for the visit and what are the topics that were discussed? We must
[00:10:07] mention that Minister Al-Shaibani's visit was preceded by
[00:10:11] a visit by a high-ranking Syrian military delegation to the base.
[00:10:14] Under the leadership of the Chief of Staff, Major
[00:10:17] General Al-Naasan. He visited
[00:10:21] the base and learned about the military
[00:10:25] situation.
[00:10:28] prompted Al-Shaibani's visit.
[00:10:32] My estimation is that the Russians did not fully
[00:10:35] adhere to the agreement,
[00:10:40] aircraft are still present in the base, and as I heard
[00:10:43] a reporter from one of the television channels, perhaps
[00:10:47] Syrian TV or Al-Akhbariya, said that
[00:10:49] fuel tankers are coming to the base in
[00:10:53] very large numbers. This means that there
[00:10:58] in the withdrawal and the removal of the
[00:11:01] fighting military forces because the military
[00:11:05] nature or the Russian military presence
[00:11:09] here must be removed. Military aircraft
[00:11:12] must leave, for example, and so on.
[00:11:15] So Al-Shaibani's visit, as he is the Minister of Foreign
[00:11:19] Affairs and, as the esteemed guest mentioned,
[00:11:22] he led the negotiations
[00:11:25] over a year and a half to sign the memorandum of understanding.
[00:11:29] The Foreign Minister represents the Syrian state completely, and he was accompanied
[00:11:32] by a large military and security delegation. So the visit
[00:11:36] is, in my opinion, not
[00:11:38] ordinary, but rather stems from
[00:11:41] a lack of,
[00:11:45] that is, a concern on the Syrian side about implementation. Okay, if we
[00:11:48] move away from the aspect of concern or confirm it, I want you
[00:11:52] to analyze the situation in a stable way. When
[00:11:55] Minister Al-Shaibani went to the base,
[00:11:59] he went in civilian clothes, meaning he did not go in a formal
[00:12:02] suit
[00:12:05] or in a formal diplomatic presence as
[00:12:09] we have always known. Rather, he was
[00:12:12] in ordinary clothes, walking among the Russian
[00:12:15] officers and the Syrian individuals who accompanied him.
[00:12:19] At the same time, there is always talk
[00:12:22] about opening security files first. So in your opinion,
[00:12:26] were there any preliminaries
[00:12:29] the Russian officers present there?
[00:12:33] Yes, as I said, there was a visit by a high-level Syrian
[00:12:37] military delegation to the base. No, I'm talking about Minister
[00:12:40] Al-Shaibani's visit after that military visit.
[00:12:44] Yes, I mean, I say that if
[00:12:47] the military visit had been,
[00:12:51] that is, if the military delegation had been convinced that things
[00:12:55] were going normally, Al-Shaibani would not have gone to the base.
[00:12:57] And therefore, Al-Shaibani's visit, of course, Al-Shaibani is the civilian
[00:13:01] man, he is the Minister of Syrian Diplomacy,
[00:13:03] and he wears civilian clothes, and he always
[00:13:07] wears civilian clothes, whether he wears a tie or
[00:13:10] not. But he represents,
[00:13:13] I believe, the presidency of the state. That is,
[00:13:17] the visit, despite the appearance and clothing,
[00:13:20] represents the Syrian state. The proof is that
[00:13:23] he conducted negotiations with Russian officers
[00:13:27] and discussed with them. He did not just go to see and
[00:13:30] leave. He sat and discussed and negotiated.
[00:13:34] This indicates that there are files that require coordination,
[00:13:38] scrutiny, and follow-up between
[00:13:41] the two parties. Yes. Well, Mr. Muhammad Nasser,
[00:13:46] Minister Al-Shaibani opened with the Russian officers
[00:13:49] present at the base and at the airport,
[00:13:52] was there any priority to discuss the rehabilitation of the airport
[00:13:56] there, or even the logistical
[00:14:00] development at that point, given that it will also be used as a military training point? First and
[00:14:03] foremost, Ms. Rama, Hmeimim Airbase was not
[00:14:07] originally a Russian military base before
[00:14:11] 2015. It was originally
[00:14:14] Latakia International Airport, established in
[00:14:17] 1964, and then developed until
[00:14:21] 1985. That is, it was used by the Assad
[00:14:25] regime for illegal activities. Then in
[00:14:28] 1994, when Bassel al-Assad was killed, it was named
[00:14:32] Bassel al-Assad International Airport. It was used,
[00:14:35] and everyone knows why and for what purposes
[00:14:38] it was used. In 2015, when
[00:14:42] the Syrian opposition controlled a large part of
[00:14:45] Syria, and the situation of the Iranian
[00:14:48] militias and the former Assad
[00:14:51] army, Bashar al-Assad's fleeing army, deteriorated.
[00:14:55] Soleimani, the deceased, went to Russia and asked for support
[00:14:57] and assistance. At that point, the Russians came to Latakia
[00:15:03] portion of the private or public lands in the Hmeimim
[00:15:06] area, which is about 20 kilometers south of Latakia
[00:15:09] city. They established a military base
[00:15:13] there. Today, Minister Al-Shaibani's visit is not about infrastructure
[00:15:16] or rehabilitation or anything like that. Minister Al-Shaibani's
[00:15:19] visit is to remind the Russians that the Syrian
[00:15:23] government is an independent government with an independent
[00:15:26] decision. We agreed with you on three months. You must
[00:15:30] fulfill this promise
[00:15:34] with Professor Mahmoud Hamza that there might be a Russian
[00:15:37] failure in implementing
[00:15:40] the agreement between the two parties,
[00:15:43] which made this visit necessary now or at this time? I will tell you
[00:15:47] about a very important incident, perhaps few have
[00:15:50] mentioned it. There was a Syrian intelligence
[00:15:53] lead, and here I salute Mr. Abdul Kader
[00:15:56] Tahan. Two weeks ago,
[00:15:59] or three weeks ago, four Russian ships
[00:16:03] entered the Strait of Gibraltar and were heading to the southern
[00:16:06] Spanish ports. Admiral
[00:16:10] Levchenko, the supply ship Sparta,
[00:16:13] the technical support ship Academician Parschin,
[00:16:16] and the tanker General Skilov.
[00:16:20] These four ships were heading to Spain,
[00:16:24] but when they entered the Strait of Gibraltar, they shut
[00:16:27] down their radar and radio systems and disappeared
[00:16:31] from satellite for two weeks. They were
[00:16:33] found in the Tartous joint naval base,
[00:16:37] which is supposed to be joint between Syria and Russia. What surprised
[00:16:40] the Russians was that Syrian
[00:16:43] at the base. This is what completely surprised the Russians. They know
[00:16:47] very well that the new Syrian intelligence
[00:16:50] no longer has
[00:16:54] with the former regime, which was burned, and so on. But they
[00:16:57] have begun to realize that this country has active
[00:17:01] men, it has well-trained intelligence men.
[00:17:05] Therefore, the Russians could not play games again.
[00:17:09] Well, what is the purpose of sending ships without
[00:17:12] informing the Syrian state or without its knowledge and crossing its territorial
[00:17:16] waters? Russia, Ms. Rama, Russia
[00:17:20] does not have bases, Russia has troops
[00:17:23] in Sudan and it has troops
[00:17:27] in Libya, so it needs Tartous base to
[00:17:32] those forces in Sudan
[00:17:35] or in Libya. So that's how they
[00:17:38] arrived. Perhaps, you know, Russian intelligence is
[00:17:41] cunning intelligence, the KGB. Perhaps they tried to play
[00:17:45] this game as a test for Syrian intelligence
[00:17:48] or for the new Syrian state. And perhaps
[00:17:51] they tried to blind global radars and satellite
[00:17:55] communications to send a specific message that they can enter
[00:17:59] anywhere without anyone seeing them. But Syrian intelligence
[00:18:02] and Syrian security were waiting for them, and very
[00:18:05] few have come across this. I discovered it through
[00:18:09] research and investigation on satellite
[00:18:12] networks and security networks. Therefore, Minister
[00:18:16] Al-Shaibani is at the base today to remind the Russians
[00:18:19] that this circumvention and pragmatism,
[00:18:23] as they call it in political science, will not work
[00:18:26] with us. We agreed with you on three months, starting in August
[00:18:30] and ending in November. You must implement it. There are several
[00:18:34] aircraft, as you mentioned. Some stations filmed
[00:18:37] with drones. I reviewed the report and commented
[00:18:41] on it on those stations. There are four
[00:18:44] Su-34 aircraft, two of which are inoperable
[00:18:48] and two are ready. There is also an Ilyushin
[00:18:51] 76 cargo plane, an Ilyushin 62
[00:18:55] cargo plane, and another Antonov cargo plane.
[00:18:59] I think these cargo planes are there to transport
[00:19:02] these warplanes, or perhaps we don't know what the Syrians
[00:19:06] and Russians agreed upon regarding the presence of these planes
[00:19:13] on these weapons, given that the new Syria
[00:19:16] under the leadership of His Excellency President Ahmed al-Shara
[00:19:19] kept this base joint between Syria
[00:19:22] and Russia. And here, if you'll allow me, I'd like to make a precise
[00:19:26] statement. This is to create a balance in the region.
[00:19:29] That is, we do not want to expel the Russians permanently from Syria,
[00:19:33] even though we know what they did to the Syrian people
[00:19:36] and how they helped the previous regime. However, we also
[00:19:40] do not overlook the fact that the Russians, on the night
[00:19:43] of the fall, neglected to provide support to Bashar
[00:19:48] gradually begun to collapse.
[00:19:51] in the Russian presence. Don't forget, Ms. Rama, that
[00:19:55] we have many military units, tanks, vehicles,
[00:19:59] and aircraft. We need the Russians either to train
[00:20:02] our soldiers on some modern equipment if we want
[00:20:06] to diversify our arms sources between East
[00:20:10] and West, knowing that the Syrian military
[00:20:14] doctrine has not yet been clarified. Whether we want
[00:20:17] to arm ourselves from the West or the East,
[00:20:22] expert, I prefer that the Syrian army
[00:20:26] be armed with a mixed Western-Eastern
[00:20:30] doctrine so that no country in the future
[00:20:33] can pressure us on the issue
[00:20:36] of spare parts, ammunition, and weapons. We should
[00:20:39] have them, especially since Syria, according to the US
[00:20:42] Federal Reserve, has exited the sanctions framework by lifting
[00:20:46] sanctions on arms imports to Syria at 2
[00:20:50] PM today. This is a victory
[00:20:53] for Syrian diplomacy. Yes. Well, Dr. Mahmoud,
[00:20:55] in your opinion, did Minister Al-Shaibani's message
[00:20:59] from this visit reach the Russian forces
[00:21:03] and even the Russian presidency in general,
[00:21:06] and will they adhere to the handover at
[00:21:10] the specified time in November?
[00:21:13] Yes, I think it did. I have
[00:21:17] evidence from the Russian media in Russian.
[00:21:20] They almost did not mention the visit. They
[00:21:23] say the visit of the Chief of Staff to the base.
[00:21:27] They only spoke very briefly about
[00:21:30] Al-Shaibani's visit because the visit of a Foreign Minister
[00:21:34] to the base is a big deal. It is not
[00:21:37] an ordinary military delegation. It is a major
[00:21:40] political diplomatic event.
[00:21:44] And this indicates that the Russians
[00:21:46] do not want to
[00:21:50] announce and promote
[00:21:53] the fact that there was a visit by the Foreign
[00:21:56] Minister. Why would the Foreign Minister visit
[00:22:00] the base? There is a point here that I must
[00:22:03] mention. Latakia Airport,
[00:22:07] during the Russian
[00:22:09] military presence during the defunct
[00:22:13] regime, was practically transformed into
[00:22:16] a military airport. The Russians are
[00:22:20] now using it, but the Syrian
[00:22:23] state wants to return it to
[00:22:26] being an international civilian airport. Therefore, the presence
[00:22:30] of Russian military aircraft
[00:22:33] next to the airport is, in my opinion,
[00:22:37] illogical. From a security and sovereign perspective,
[00:22:40] the airport must be protected, and its
[00:22:44] movement must be under purely Syrian
[00:22:46] supervision. Frankly, I believe that
[00:22:52] the memorandum of understanding is not being implemented
[00:22:55] as required, and this necessitated the intervention
[00:22:58] of the Foreign Minister. I believe the Russians
[00:23:02] will not easily withdraw
[00:23:05] their aircraft, officers, and presence.
[00:23:09] They have had a military presence for ten
[00:23:12] years, so they have established
[00:23:15] themselves in this region and
[00:23:18] taken root. Therefore,
[00:23:27] the Syrians are in a hurry. Within three months,
[00:23:30] all military sites must be evacuated,
[00:23:34] except for a training
[00:23:37] have a military nature, but is an educational
[00:23:41] center for Russian officers. In the future,
[00:23:44] Arab officers, foreign officers, may come.
[00:23:48] This is an educational center in which Syrians
[00:23:52] and Russians participate. Everyone is working
[00:23:57] with the new Syrian state, especially after the lifting
[00:24:03] may have a share in arms purchases.
[00:24:07] No, the Russians will not stall,
[00:24:10] challenging the Syrian state, but it seems
[00:24:14] there might be technical and logistical problems.
[00:24:17] But they know that they must withdraw. The Russian
[00:24:20] leadership fully understands what the new Syria
[00:24:24] is. This new Syrian leadership emphasizes
[00:24:27] Syria's independence,
[00:24:30] and cooperation on an equal
[00:24:34] footing, meaning equally
[00:24:37] and respecting the other. They are fully aware
[00:24:40] of these matters, and therefore there can be
[00:24:44] no stalling, especially since Syria has partners
[00:24:48] to cooperate with. There is Turkey,
[00:24:50] there are the United States, the Gulf states, meaning
[00:24:53] there are countries that help, support, and cooperate
[00:24:56] with Syria, and Syria does not need Russia
[00:25:00] very much. However, I emphasize my colleague's
[00:25:03] words that it is beneficial for Syria in general
[00:25:08] and to have a Russian presence in the region to create a geopolitical
[00:25:13] with the West to prevent alignment, meaning so that
[00:25:16] we do not return to the issue of alignment that
[00:25:22] the defunct regime adopted with its camp. Exactly. So that
[00:25:25] we have options, meaning diversifying international
[00:25:29] and foreign relations has become a characteristic. Look
[00:25:33] at the Gulf states. They are strong allies
[00:25:36] of the United States and the West, but they have opened up to
[00:25:39] Russia, China, India, and many
[00:25:43] they learned from experience that when you
[00:25:46] are a hostage to America, this is a big problem.
[00:25:50] Meaning if you are a hostage to the right party or
[00:25:54] the left party, there will always be a problem.
[00:25:56] Mr. Muhammad Nasser,
[00:25:59] in your opinion, during the coming period, we are
[00:26:06] from, implementing this agreement. November
[00:26:09] is approaching. What Syrian interest will
[00:26:12] be formed after the Syrian state
[00:26:15] takes over the base and the airport, and
[00:26:19] how will the administration mechanism be, since it will
[00:26:23] transform from military to civilian? First, before I answer
[00:26:26] you, there is a very important point that everyone
[00:26:29] should know. The transformation of the alliance
[00:26:41] between Russia and former Syria.
[00:26:43] Secondly and finally, the base is no longer
[00:26:47] a refuge for outlaws and those dreaming of the return
[00:26:51] of so-and-so or so-and-so, or of receiving expected
[00:26:54] Russian support for some movements that
[00:26:57] they might imagine on the coast.
[00:27:01] Let's move to the question, Ms. Rama. Syria
[00:27:04] will achieve many gains by taking
[00:27:08] over the two bases or by the Russians remaining
[00:27:12] force. Firstly, on the tourism
[00:27:15] front, tourism will flourish at Tartous Port,
[00:27:19] whether from Russia or elsewhere. The port will become
[00:27:23] civilian for cargo transportation, and its revenues
[00:27:26] will go to Syria, to the Syrian government,
[00:27:30] to the Central Bank. And there will be tourist
[00:27:32] groups coming. You know that civilians
[00:27:36] are always affected by military sights, whether in ports
[00:27:40] or airports, or so on. They consider it like
[00:27:43] some countries, North Korea, a police state closed
[00:27:46] to itself. This is on the tourism front.
[00:27:50] If we talk about the political and sovereign
[00:27:52] repercussions, strengthening
[00:27:56] ends decades of humiliation
[00:27:59] and an unreal partnership. That is,
[00:28:02] the state of Russia was sharing everything with Syria.
[00:28:06] Today there is a balance, there is a Syrian-Russian
[00:28:09] partnership, and as we mentioned, the base
[00:28:12] is no longer a Russian base, but rather a joint
[00:28:16] Syrian-Russian base on Syrian land. Secondly,
[00:28:20] establishing an equal relationship between Syria
[00:28:23] and Russia. Today, Minister Al-Shaibani and the Syrian
[00:28:26] state have completely established an equal
[00:28:29] relationship between Syria and Russia. Today, there are
[00:28:33] no American forces There are Russian forces,
[00:28:37] except those designated for training and with the consent
[00:28:40] of the Syrian army. And here is a note I want
[00:28:43] to add, as
[00:28:46] a military and security person, I
[00:28:49] prefer the presence
[00:28:52] does not scare us as a Syrian army or as a Syrian people. This base
[00:28:56] is surrounded by the new Syrian Arab Army,
[00:29:00] and the science of war today, there are
[00:29:02] several drones that can end the matter within minutes. It no longer
[00:29:06] concerns us to have several planes. Let them be, it doesn't matter to us,
[00:29:10] and Russia will not be able to maneuver or procrastinate.
[00:29:13] It knows today that the Syrian decision is a sovereign
[00:29:17] decision stemming from the patriotism of Syria, from
[00:29:20] a state that has
[00:29:23] country. It can rely
[00:29:27] on other sources, America other than America in its weapons. Russia is no longer
[00:29:30] the only country that can supply us with weapons
[00:29:34] and impose its opinion on us. So all these
[00:29:37] gains are being reaped by the Syrian government, of course,
[00:29:41] in addition to silencing the many voices
[00:29:44] that dreamed that Russia's presence on the coast
[00:29:48] was, for example, a source of support for some factions that might
[00:29:52] rely on it in some movement, in some
[00:29:55] hypothetical revolution. This has completely ended,
[00:29:58] and these are all gains for the Syrian state
[00:30:01] and the Syrian people. Yes, with a final question, Dr. Mahmoud,
[00:30:04] does handing over these points raise,
[00:30:07] perhaps in the future or after a short period, the level of diplomatic
[00:30:11] representation between Syria
[00:30:12] and Russia?
[00:30:17] diplomatic direction in particular, and there may be commercial cooperation
[00:30:20] by the way, and tourist cooperation. Efforts are being made,
[00:30:24] and I believe that any, I mean, Syrians
[00:30:27] are trying to arrange things. The Syrian embassy in
[00:30:31] Moscow, and by the end of the year we may hear
[00:30:34] about the appointment of a new diplomatic body in the embassy.
[00:30:37] And we should also mention that weeks ago, Syrian
[00:30:41] Air started its flights
[00:30:44] once a week from Damascus to Moscow. So
[00:30:48] there is a desire
[00:30:51] least commercial, civilian, tourist,
[00:30:54] diplomatic.
[00:30:57] But there is a presentation.