Syrian defense delegation visits Moscow for high-level talks

MOSCOW

A senior Syrian defense delegation on Oct. 2 held high-level talks in Russia, an ally of toppled leader Bashar al-Assad, as Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa prepares to attend a summit in Moscow this month.

In a statement on its official Telegram channel, the Syrian Defense Ministry said the delegation was led by Chief of the General Staff of the Syrian transitional government’s armed forces, Major General Ali Al-Naasan.

The delegation was received by Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov.

“This visit is part of efforts to enhance coordination mechanisms between the defense ministries of both countries,” the statement added.

The high-level Syrian defense meetings notably come amid increasing calls from Damascus for the extradition of the deposed Syrian president from Russia and ahead of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s expected participation in a major summit in Moscow this month.

Shara led rebels into Damascus in December 2024 and installed a new government. Assad fled the capital and was granted asylum in Russia.

Moscow has since attempted to preserve ties with Syria's new authorities, including offering Damascus diplomatic support over Israeli strikes on Syrian territory.

On the tenth anniversary of Russia's military involvement in the Syrian civil war, the Syrian Network for Human Rights urged Moscow to extradite former Assad and issue a formal apology for supporting his regime.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Sept. 1 that Assad narrowly survived an assassination attempt by poisoning while in Russia.

According to the observatory, the operation was allegedly designed to embarrass the Russian government and implicate it in the attempted elimination of Assad.