During his meeting with Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam at the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin announced that military technical cooperation between Russia and Syria is an important part of the relations between the two countries. He stressed the existence of joint projects in this field. Putin received a personal message from Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and emphasized the need to develop bilateral contacts at the summit level. He considered Khaddam’s visit a strong boost to the development of relations between the two countries in all areas. The Russian President stressed the importance of dialogue and political contacts in light of the complex situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Iraqi issue.
Putin emphasized the need to support the Russian-Syrian dialogue and to follow a line that meets the interests of both countries. Russian sources reported that Putin attached great importance to the issue of economic relations between the two countries. During his talks with the Syrian Vice President, he stressed that the volume of trade exchange had reached nearly one billion dollars before 1992, but it sharply declined in the subsequent period. However, he confirmed the existence of indicators indicating its steady growth.
In the context of explaining Putin’s statement regarding the existence of joint projects in military cooperation, observers have suggested the possibility of Moscow accepting the provision of modern weapons to Syria. During the visit of Syria’s Defense Minister, General Mustafa Klas, to Moscow, Damascus had already requested the supply of the modern “S-30” air defense system. However, Washington and Israel have been obstacles to providing Syria with this system.
Khaddam expressed the hope of his country to restore the previous momentum of their old relations, emphasizing that this would serve the interests of both countries and reduce international tension.
The visit of the Syrian Vice President is in preparation for President Bashar Al-Assad’s upcoming visit to Moscow in the near future. Khaddam’s visit program in Moscow included a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov to discuss various aspects of economic relations. Additionally, he is scheduled to meet with Gennady Seleznyov, the Speaker of the State Duma (Parliament).
In response to discussions during Khaddam’s visit to the Kremlin, Igor Ivanov, the Russian Foreign Minister, denied reports that the issue of supplying Egla missiles to Syria was discussed. Ivanov stated, “Russia makes its decisions on the sale of weapons based on its own assessment of the overall situation and not under pressure from anyone. These decisions take into account the arms control system. Therefore, Russia’s decision cannot be influenced by Israeli positions.”
