FILE PHOTO: Qatar's Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi visits Damascus
Reuters: MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, the first direct communication between the two since Sharaa's forces overthrew Moscow's ally Bashar al-Assad in December.
Russia is hoping to retain the use of naval and air bases in Syria under the leadership that took power after Assad fled to Moscow following 13 years of civil war in which Russian troops had intervened on his behalf.
The Kremlin described the phone call as constructive and said Putin had emphasized Moscow's support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian state.
It made no mention of discussions over the fate of the Russian military bases in northwest Syria. Losing the Tartous naval base and Hmeimim air base would deal a serious blow to Russia's ability to project power in the Mediterranean and Middle East.
The Syrian presidency said Putin had invited Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani to visit Moscow. It said Putin told Sharaa that Moscow was ready to reconsider agreements signed between Russia and Syria under Assad.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov visited Damascus in late January. A Syrian source familiar with the discussions told Reuters at the time that Sharaa had requested that Moscow hand over Assad.
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