Russia establishes contact with opposition group leading the overthrow of Syrian president

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov announced on December 12 that Moscow has established direct contact with the political committee of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) opposition military group in Syria.

Deputy Minister Bogdanov made the announcement while speaking to journalists, according to Interfax news agency. He added that Moscow wants to maintain two Russian military bases in Syria.

Opposition members led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham drive military vehicles in al-Rashideen in Syria's Aleppo province on November 29.

Mr Bogdanov said that contacts with HTS were “progressing in a constructive way”. HTS is the strongest military opposition force in Syria, which led the overthrow of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last weekend, according to Reuters.

According to Mr. Bogdanov, Russia hopes that HTS will fulfill its commitments "to combat all excesses", maintain order and ensure the safety of diplomats and other foreigners.

Mr. Bogdanov stressed that Moscow hopes to maintain two Russian bases in Syria, including the naval base in Tartous and the Khmeimim air base near the port city of Latakia, to continue international anti-terrorism efforts.

"The bases are still there, where they were on Syrian territory. At the moment, no other decisions have been made," Interrfax quoted Mr. Bogdanov.

He stressed that maintaining the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) "requires joint efforts and in this connection, our presence and the Khmeimim base play an important role in the fight against international terrorism in general".

In addition, another Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Vershinin, and the United Nations special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called for measures to stabilize the situation in and around Syria, according to Reuters, citing a statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website.

According to the statement, the two diplomats discussed by phone finding a political solution in a way that is decided by the Syrian people and ensures Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

There is currently no information about the reaction of representatives from HTS to the above statement from the Russian side.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nga-thiet-lap-lien-liac-voi-nhom-doi-lap-dan-dau-cuoc-lat-do-tong-thong-syria-18524121306491684.htm