Media: New Syrian authorities demand Russia return Assad's accumulated assets

According to a latest article, Reuters features that Syria’s interim President Ahmed Sharaa has pressed for the repatriation of Syrian funds he believes were deposited by ex-President Bashar al-Assad in Russian banks. 

However, the Russian delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, denied the existence of such funds. In a January 29 meeting held in Damascus, Sharaa requested the cancellation of loans contracted by the Syrian government from Russia during Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Before the war, Syria was largely debt-free, but the conflict has left the country with external obligations estimated to be between $20 billion and $23 billion, as stated by Finance Minister Mohammad Abazid last month. The exact amount owed to Russia remains unspecified. The meeting, which lasted three hours, also addressed the topic of Assad’s potential return to Syria. 

However, Syrian officials only discussed the matter in broad terms, indicating that it was not a major obstacle in restoring relations with Moscow. A senior Russian official confirmed that Russia would not agree to extradite Assad, nor had the issue been raised during the discussions. Following the meeting, Syria’s government issued a statement in which Sharaa underscored the importance of addressing past mistakes in the process of rebuilding ties with Russia. He also called for compensation for the destruction caused by Russia's involvement in the Syrian civil war. 

The meeting was described by all sources as relatively smooth, and a recent phone call between Sharaa and Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly "constructive," according to the Kremlin. When asked about the ongoing discussions between Moscow and Damascus regarding Russia's military bases in Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "We are continuing our contacts with the Syrian authorities. So, well, let's just say that the working process is underway."

Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, suggested that Moscow's position looks promising. “The new Syrian authorities do not see Russia as a hostile country. But Russia will have to do something favorable for the Syrian government in return for these bases,” he wrote on Telegram.

By Naila Huseynova