RUSSIAN-SYRIAN RELATIONS

Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Syria were established in July 1944. Russian-Syrian ties are traditionally friendly. Their foundation was laid during the period of close cooperation between the USSR and Syria. With the economic and technical assistance of the former USSR, more than 80 large facilities were built, about 2 thousand km of railways and 3.7 thousand km of power lines were laid. Communications through military-technical cooperation developed. More than 35 thousand Syrians received education in civilian specialties in Soviet and Russian universities.

Political interaction Recently, it has been concentrated mainly on issues of discussing the situation in and around Syria and the problems of intra-Syrian settlement.

In accordance with the appeal of the President of the SAR B. Assad to the leadership of Russia with a request for military assistance, on September 30, 2015, the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation unanimously voted to adopt a Resolution on the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation outside the Russian Federation to support the government troops of the SAR in the fight against ISIS.

The President of the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR), B. Assad, visited Russia six times (January 2005, December 2006, August 2008, October 2015, November 2017, April 2018).

On May 9-10, 2010, the first visit of the President of the Russian Federation to Damascus in the history of bilateral relations took place.

On December 11, 2017, a meeting between the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin and the President of Syria B. Assad took place at the Russian Khmeimim airbase. Speaking to Russian military personnel, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces highly appreciated their activities and also ordered the withdrawal of a significant part of the Russian military contingent from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.

President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin has repeatedly received the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrant Affairs of Syria V. Muallem.

On December 3, 2014, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev received a trade and economic delegation led by the Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources of Syria S. Abbas.

Meetings of the foreign ministers of the two countries are held on a regular basis. V. Muallem repeatedly visited the Russian Federation for negotiations with S.V. Lavrov. Bilateral meetings are organized on the sidelines of major international events.

In 2017, three meetings took place between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of the Syrian Arab Republic V. Muallem in Moscow and Sochi (April and October), as well as “on fields" of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York (September).

In September 2017, President of the Syrian Arab Republic B. Assad received the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation S.K. Shoigu in Damascus.

In November 2017, employees of the personal office of the President of the SAR visited Moscow and were received by the Presidential Directorates for Internal Policy and Civil Service and Personnel Affairs.

An active parliamentary exchange of delegations is maintained. The former Chairman of the People's Council of the SAR, Kh. Abbas, was received in Moscow in April 2017 by the heads of the chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, V.I. Matvienko and V.V. Volodin. They also met with the new Speaker of the Syrian Parliament, H. Sabbagh, who came to St. Petersburg to participate in the 137th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in October 2017.

Trade and economic cooperation experiencing the negative consequences of the internal crisis in Syria. A number of promising projects have been postponed.

Currently, Syria ranks 89th among Russia's foreign trade partners in terms of trade turnover, including 74th in exports and 134th in imports.

In 2017, trade turnover between Russia and Syria increased by 46.2% compared to 2016 and amounted to $282.7 million, including exports amounting to $279.8 million (an increase of 53.4%), imports – USD 2.9 million (reduction by 73.6%). The positive balance in trade with Syria in favor of Russia amounted to $276.9 million.

Since 1993, the Permanent Russian-Syrian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation (IPC) has been functioning. The Chairman of the Syrian part of the IPC is Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrant Affairs of Syria V. Muallem, the Russian part is Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Yu.I. Borisov.

On October 10, 2017, the tenth meeting of the IGC took place in Sochi. The final protocol sets out guidelines for the development of cooperation in the areas of trade, electricity and subsoil use, water resources, transport, industry, financial, banking and customs sectors, healthcare, in the development of Syrian grain infrastructure and agriculture, the oil and gas sector, in the field of public works, construction housing and the construction materials industry, the humanitarian sector, information technology and communications, as well as the tourism sector.

Since 2004, the Russian-Syrian Business Council has been operating. On the Russian side, the Council is headed by the Deputy President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, V.I. Padalka, and on the Syrian side, by prominent businessman S. Hassan.

Humanitarian cooperation. Since 1995, the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cultural and Scientific Cooperation has been in force.

Since the time of the baptism of Rus', there have been particularly close relations between the Russian and Antiochian Orthodox Churches. On November 12-13, 2011, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' visited Syria as part of a visit to the Antioch Patriarchate.

On January 24-29, 2014, the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X was on a visit to Moscow, who was received by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, his meetings took place with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill, Chairman of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation V. I. Matvienko, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov. On February 20, 2015, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov received the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X Yaziji, who is in Moscow to receive the award of the International Foundation for the Unity of Orthodox Peoples. During his next visit to Moscow in December 2017, John X was received by Russian President V.V. Putin.

In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation the practice of delivering to the Syrian population continued victims of internal armed conflict, humanitarian aid .

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SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC(SAR)

Syria is a state in the Eastern Mediterranean, bordered in the north by Turkey, in the east by Iraq, in the west by Lebanon, and in the south by Jordan and Israel. The length of the coastline is 172 km. Territory - 185.2 thousand km 2 (including the Golan Heights occupied by Israel since 1967).

Population– 22.4 million people (excluding demographic changes caused by the Syrian conflict). Natural growth is high – 2.3% per year. The national and religious composition is heterogeneous.

The state-forming ethnic group is Syrian Arabs (88%). There are also 2.0 million Kurds, Armenians, Circassians, Assyrians, and Turkmens. Muslims make up 90% of the country's population. Of these, 72% are Sunnis, 13% are Alawites, and the rest are mainly Druze and Ismailis. Christians make up less than 10% of the population.

Administrative-territorial unit – governorate (14 in total). The capital is Damascus (with suburbs with over 4 million inhabitants), the millionaire cities are Aleppo (Aleppo) and Homs (with suburbs).

Political system SAR is a presidential republic. The head of state, according to the new constitution (adopted on February 26, 2012), is elected by direct elections (previously by a popular referendum). The term of office is 7 years. Since July 2000, the president is Bashar al-Assad (re-elected in June 2014). Vice President - Najah Attar.

Supreme legislative body- unicameral People's Council. The deputy corps is 250 people, the term of office is 4 years. The current (eleventh) composition was elected in April 2016. The Chairman of the Council is Hamuda Youssef Al-Sabbagh (since September 2017).

Supreme executive and administrative body – Council of Ministers (formed in 2016 and updated in January 2018). Chairman – Imad Mohammed Dib Khamis (since July 2016); Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrant Affairs - Walid Muallem; Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, Minister of Defense - Abdullah Ayyub.

Politic system(formed since the early 70s) at the current stage is characterized by the continued dominance of the Arab Socialist Renaissance Party (PASV or “Baath”). Until 2012, its status was constitutionally enshrined as “the ruling party in society and the state.” General Secretary - President B. Assad, Deputy - H. Hilal. The highest body of PASV is the Regional Management of PASV, whose composition was completely renewed in the summer of 2013.

In March 2011, anti-government popular demonstrations began in Syria, accompanied by armed attacks on government officials. In the spring and summer of 2011, demonstrations became widespread and illegal armed groups (IAF) became more active.

In 2012, the Law “On Political Parties” was adopted in Syria, which established the requirements for the creation of political associations and the procedure for their registration. Currently, there are 20 officially registered political parties operating in the country.

On June 3, 2014, in accordance with the country's constitution of 2012, the first direct presidential elections in the modern history of Syria were held on an alternative basis. The current President of the Syrian Arab Republic, B. Assad, won, gaining 88.7% of the votes (10.3 million out of 11.6 million voters; total voters - 15.8 million). Turnout was 73.4.

In parallel with the “democratization” controlled from above, the institutional formation of opposition-oriented political associations is taking place from below, which act from patriotic positions, showing readiness for dialogue with the authorities on certain conditions. In turn, the foreign Syrian opposition stands on an irreconcilable platform and advocates the overthrow of the Assad regime. The National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (headquarters in Istanbul), proclaimed by its Western and regional sponsors as “the only legitimate representative of the Syrian people,” claims a leading role among such oppositionists. Chairman – Riad Muslim Seif (since May 2017).

Syria has a multi-structured economy, combining centralized management with market forms of management.

The turmoil experienced by Syria interrupted the dynamics of sustainable development of the national economy in previous years. Enormous damage has been caused to the economic infrastructure and social sphere. The unilateral sanctions (USA, Japan, Turkey) and multilateral (EU, Arab League, GCC) sanctions imposed against Damascus have become a heavy burden.

GDP, which was $58.3 billion in 2010, fell by about half. The gold and foreign exchange reserves have decreased significantly. GDP growth in 2014 is estimated by the World Bank at 1.8%, with a forecast that this dynamics will remain at 2.4-3% annually until 2018. At the same time, as of 2015, as a result of hostilities, the industrial sector lost about 40% its capacity, the national economy shrank by half (compared to 2010), oil production fell from 400 thousand barrels per day (2011) to 10 thousand in 2015, the national currency suffered an 80% devaluation.

The authorities, however, manage to keep the economy afloat, keeping the financial system from collapse. In the recent period, there has been a tendency towards some revival of economic activity as a result of the relative stabilization of the situation in the areas controlled by the authorities.

The main industries: oil (including oil refining), gas, phosphate mining, mineral fertilizer production, as well as textiles and food.

Per share Agriculture accounts for up to 20% of GDP, and employs up to 80% of the rural and economically active population (13.8% in the pre-crisis period). The agricultural sector has become key in the SAR economy.

By the end of 2015, 82% of the country's 17.5 million Syrians were below the poverty line. The number of unemployed exceeded 57% of the working population (about 3.7 million people).

The situation in Syria has a negative impact on trade and economic relations with Russia. Trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $1.136 billion in pre-crisis 2009. The improvement of the military-political situation in 2017 and the liberation of a number of economically important areas contributed to the growth of business activity between the two countries. So, as of November 1, 2017. trade turnover increased by 62% compared to the same period last year and amounted to $260.5 million, incl. exports 236.3 million dollars. (an increase of 59%), imports – $2.3 million. (a drop of 77.7%). Among Russia's foreign trade partners in terms of trade turnover, Syria ranks 89th, incl. 74th in exports and 134th in imports.

According to the UN, in need of humanitarian aid almost 13.5 million people, 7.6 million are IDPs, 3.8 million have become refugees. In December 2015, under the auspices of the UN, a humanitarian response plan for Syria was approved for 2016, which includes a Strategic Response Plan (for humanitarian response within the country) and a regional refugee plan. The total amount of funds requested for their implementation amounted to $3.2 billion.

According to experts from the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, up to $200 billion will be required to restore the national economy of the SAR.

Currently, more than 80% of the 17.5 million Syrians remaining in the country live below the poverty line. The number of unemployed exceeded 57% of the working population (about 3.7 million people). The situation is aggravated by the outflow of highly qualified personnel, who make up a large part of Syrian refugees.

Internal position– complex. Provoked by the so-called During the Arab Spring, the deepest internal political crisis escalated into an internal armed conflict.

At the end of June 2014, ISIS announced the creation of an Islamic caliphate over a vast area in the north and northeast of the country.

Thanks to the beginning of the anti-terrorist operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria on September 30, 2015, The government army launched a massive offensive on almost all fronts, consistently liberating areas occupied by illegal armed groups. By the end of 2017, the main combat-ready formations of the ISIS group in Syria were defeated.

To date (August 2018), the Government of the SAR controls most of the country’s territory, where about 90% of its population is concentrated.

According to UN estimates, more than 250 thousand Syrians have died in the country since the beginning of the conflict.

Socio-economic situation in Syria in 2017 remained difficult. The release of part of the hydrocarbon deposits in the east of the country by the end of the year significantly improved the situation with electricity supply. The national currency exchange rate has strengthened. After a 5-year break, the International Damascus Fair resumed its work, in which representatives of 43 countries took part. There are emerging trends towards a comprehensive restoration of the Syrian economy.

In the international arena, Syria is consistently implementing independent foreign policy, speaking out against dictatorship in international relations and interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, for resolving conflict situations through political and diplomatic means, and at the global level - for a multipolar world order and a balance of positions of various country associations. Formally, the STB remains one of the key foreign policy priorities, but the role of the SAR in it has noticeably decreased, incl. taking into account the suspension of its membership in the Arab League and the OIC and its continued international isolation.

The strengthening of the factor of violent Islamic radicalism in the region against the backdrop of the situation in Syria and neighboring Iraq has made collective counteraction to terrorism and the sources of its financing a priority in Damascus’s foreign policy. The international community’s response to the challenges posed by ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra was the adoption in 2014-2015. three anti-terrorism resolutions - 2170 and 2178, as well as - at the initiative of Russia - 2199 (the fight against illegal trade in oil and petroleum products).

The decision adopted at the meeting of the Working Group on Syria in Geneva on June 30, 2012 remains of utmost importance. Geneva Communiqué, which reflected the principled approaches to a political settlement agreed upon by the main international players on the Syrian “field”. At the same time, at a further stage around the implementation of this document, due to the position of Westerners and regionalists, inconsistencies arose in the interpretation of its key provision - on the transitional governing body. They see its formation without the participation of B. Assad and his entourage, while Russia and our like-minded people advocate an inclusive political process led by the Syrians themselves. The Geneva Communiqué was approved by the UN Security Council in September 2013 in the text of UN Security Council Resolution 2118 on the chemical demilitarization of Syria.

On December 30, 2016, a ceasefire regime (CCA) was introduced throughout Syria (except for the areas of combat operations against ISIS and Jabhat Al-Nusra). Its participants were the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and armed opposition groups operating mainly in northern Syria. The role of guarantors of compliance with the RPBD was initially assumed by Russia and Türkiye. Iran later joined them.

On January 23-24, 2017, in pursuance of the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2336, a first International Meeting on Syria in Astana (IMSA). Russia, together with Iran and Turkey, launched the Astana format, which has proven its effectiveness. Thanks to him, it was possible to establish and strengthen a ceasefire between government forces and the armed opposition, which made it possible to concentrate efforts on the fight against international terrorists ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra. Four de-escalation zones have been created and are successfully operating: Southwestern, Eastern Ghouta, Homs, Idlib. The process of returning refugees and IDPs to their homeland and restoring the destroyed socio-economic infrastructure has begun.

Efforts continue for a political settlement of the crisis in Syria, made by the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Syria S. de Mistura.

On January 30, 2018, the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, organized at the initiative of the Russian Federation and supported by the UN, our partners in the Astana process - Turkey and Iran - as well as influential Arab countries and neighbors of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Relations with Russia are traditionally friendly.

In post-Soviet times, the President of the SAR visited Russia several times - in January 2005 and October 2015. On November 20, 2017, B. Assad visited the Russian Federation on a working visit. In May 2010, the first visit in the history of bilateral relations by the President of the Russian Federation to Damascus took place. On December 11, 2017, V.V. Putin visited the Khmeimim airbase, where he met with B. Assad.

As part of our principled line of promoting a political settlement in the Syrian Arab Republic through the establishment of an inclusive process led by the Syrians themselves, the Russian side has established and maintains regular contacts with various factions of the external and internal Syrian opposition, setting them up for dialogue with the authorities.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last visited Damascus in February 2012.

Despite the general situation, the most important tool for supporting bilateral business relations remains Permanent Russian-Syrian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation(Chairman of the Syrian part of the IGC - Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrant Affairs of Syria V. Muallem, Russian - Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Yu.I. Borisov). The tenth meeting of the IGC took place on October 10, 2017 in Sochi. On December 16-17, 2017, the former co-chairman of the IGC D.O. Rogozin made a working visit to Syria.

After the start of the crisis, Russia was visited several times by the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Affairs of Compatriots Abroad of the SAR V. Muallem, the Minister of Presidency M. Azzam, the Minister of Internal Affairs M. Al-Shaar, the Presidential Adviser on Political and Information Issues B .Shaaban, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs F. Miqdad.

Deep historical connections exist between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Antiochian Church. In November 2011, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' visited Syria. In turn, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X Yaziji visited Russia three times after his enthronement (in January 2014, February 2015 and December 2017).

The Russian contribution to international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Syria is significant - both through relevant UN agencies, and directly through humanitarian flights of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations to Latakia, as well as specifically for Syrian refugees in neighboring countries (Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq).

In July 2018, Russia took the initiative to establish broad international assistance for the return of Syrian refugees and IDPs to their homeland and itself actively participated in this process.

Russian colony in Syria is about 6.3 thousand people. Associations of compatriots continue to operate in many provinces (the Rodnik club in Damascus, the Tochka Ru club in Aleppo, the Dar association in Latakia and others). Most of them are members of mixed families.

“Thank you, Russia!” - this phrase is often heard in Syria, it is written on the walls of buildings. Among the flags that Syrians hold in their hands at patriotic demonstrations, you can often see Russian ones. In his recent inaugural speech, SAR President Bashar Al-Assad expressed deep gratitude to Russia and its people.

This week marks 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Syria and Russia. On this occasion, the foreign ministers of both countries - Walid Al-Muallem and Sergei Lavrov - exchanged congratulatory messages.

Walid Al-Muallem in his letter warmly thanked Russia - both the state and the people - for their support in the global battle in which Syria confronts the will of Western countries, as well as radical Wahhabi ideas. According to the head of the Syrian Foreign Ministry, Syria is confident in its victory, which will be achieved thanks to the unity of the people and the help of allies in the world, primarily Russia.

For his part, Sergei Lavrov recalled that diplomatic relations between the countries began in the forties of the twentieth century, when the Soviet Union was the first state to recognize the independence of Syria.

Then, in 1944, when the Syrians fought for their freedom against the French colonialists, on July 21, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR V.M. Molotov received a letter from the head of the Syrian Foreign Ministry Jamil Mardam Bey, in which he expressed his admiration for the Soviet people and their victories and proposed to establish diplomatic relations.

Despite the fact that the Soviet Union itself was tormented by a merciless war against fascism, despite the fact that Syria itself had not yet finally gained independence, the friendly proposal was accepted. Thus, the Soviet Union recognized the independence of the SAR.

Now, of course, Russia's situation is much better, and one could expect the same step in relation to the young, emerging Novorossiya - all that is needed is the will of the Kremlin.

The Syrians enthusiastically accepted the support from the socialist state and sincerely expressed gratitude to the Soviet people for their principles and kind attitude.

In November 1944, Patriarch Alexander III of Antioch and All the East sent a letter to the Soviet ambassador, in which he congratulated the USSR on the 27th anniversary of the Revolution and declared his readiness to visit Moscow. This trip really took place.

In the spring of 1945, the leadership of the USSR supported the initiative of the SAR to participate in the International Conference in San Francisco, at which the UN was created. Thus, Syria became one of the founding countries of the UN.

After the war, France did not want to part with the mandated territory, refused to withdraw its troops, and it even got to the point that French aircraft bombed Damascus and other Syrian cities. Syria turned for support to the force in which it saw justice - the Soviet Union.

The USSR government responded by demanding that France stop military operations in Syria. In addition, it appealed to the leadership of the United States and China to assist in this matter, citing the decisions taken at the San Francisco Conference. However, France, with the support of England, did not want to give up the occupation of Syria, as well as Lebanon. And only the iron will of Moscow made it possible to ensure that the issue of the withdrawal of foreign troops from these countries was raised in the UN Security Council. The United States responded by putting forward another draft resolution - in favor of France. Then the Soviet Union used the right of veto for the first time, not allowing the adoption of a document that infringed on the interests of the peoples of Syria and Lebanon.

Eventually, France was forced to withdraw its troops, and on April 17, 1946, the last colonial soldier left Syrian territory.
Cooperation between the USSR and the SAR was very fruitful, especially intensified after the Arab Socialist Renaissance Party came to power as a result of the March 8, 1963 Revolution.

With the cooperation between the two countries, more than 80 large industrial facilities, about 2 thousand kilometers of railway tracks, and 3.7 thousand kilometers of power lines were built in Syria. There was an active exchange of students - more than 35 thousand Syrians studied at Soviet and then Russian universities. Many of the Syrians have found their personal happiness in Moscow and other cities - there are many mixed marriages in Syria, which also creates a solid basis for brotherhood between our peoples.

In 1980, a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was concluded between the SAR and the USSR, which, in particular, implies the provision of military assistance if necessary. Moreover, this agreement has not yet been deratified.

With the beginning of the tragic events associated with the collapse of the USSR and the socialist camp, this cooperation was suspended. The Yeltsin administration had completely different priorities. Most Syrians of the older generation still speak with great pain about the misfortune that befell the Soviet peoples.

It was hard for Syria to be left without the support of its most powerful ally, but it survived. Relations were established with the countries of Latin America, with Belarus, with the DPRK and other states that also opposed the dictates of the United States and NATO.

However, the ties between our peoples were not allowed to break. In 1999, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad visited Moscow, during which some ties were partially, but still weakly, restored. After the death of Hafez, the work of cooperation with Russia was continued by the new president, Bashar Al-Assad.

And now, when the colonialists have remembered their past claims and are shedding the blood of the Syrian people with the hands of their mercenaries, it would be much more difficult for Damascus to survive without diplomatic and economic assistance from Russia. In particular, Moscow, together with Beijing, has repeatedly vetoed the West’s attempts to repeat the Libyan scenario in Syria, which, as is known, ended with the brutal reprisal of the Libyan Jamahiriya and the monstrous murder of its leader Muammar Al-Gaddafi. Oh, how the States still want to do the same on the streets of Damascus, Homs, Latakia... But it doesn’t work. Syria, with the political assistance of Russia, has been steadfastly fighting against such attempts and against hordes of mercenary terrorists for more than three years.

The Syrians greeted with great enthusiasm the visit of Sergei Lavrov, as well as Mikhail Fradkov, to Damascus in February 2012. Guests from Russia traveled from the airport to the meeting places along a continuous “living corridor” of people who came out to greet them. Syrians still remember that visit with warmth.

“Syria, Russia – friendship forever!” - this is the slogan Syrians chanted in Russian at rallies. It is more relevant than ever.

Meanwhile, a special meeting was held at the UN Security Council on the topic of the Middle East. The situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as in Syria, was discussed there. The permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, also spoke, saying that “the whole world is shocked by the scale of the human tragedy in the region.”

Churkin, on behalf of Russia, welcomed the recent appointment of a new UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan De Mistura, and expressed hope that he will make a significant contribution to the establishment of the Syrian political process.

The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation expressed concern about the situation on the ground in Syria: “We are especially concerned about the increasing terrorist activity in Syria and in the region as a whole. We condemn the seizure last week by Islamic State militants of the large Shaar gas field in the governorate of Homs, which was accompanied by a massacre of the soldiers and militia guarding the facility, as well as its personnel. This incident once again emphasizes the imperative of accepting the draft statement of the Security Council Chairman proposed by Russia on the inadmissibility of oil trade with terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq.”

In addition, the Russian diplomat pointed out the inadmissibility of such a situation when terrorist organizations such as Jabhat Al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant “are denied oxygen in one country, but it is considered possible to tolerate their activity in another country, such as Syria, and even fuel them.”

Russia continues to provide diplomatic support to Syria. So far, it is one of the few countries that is raising the issue of terrorist crimes against Syrians at the international level. Unfortunately, many other “players” on the world stage only cover up these crimes, and for them the suffering of the Syrian people is only a subject of political speculation.

Official contacts between Russia and Syria began with the discovery at the end of the 18th century. consulate in Damascus and non-staff vice consulate in Aleppo. In the 19th century A Russian consulate was established in Latakia.

In 1944, diplomatic relations were established between the Soviet Union and newly independent Syria. Despite the opposition of Western powers, Moscow insisted on including this country among the founding states of the United Nations. As a permanent member of the Security Council, the USSR came out in 1946 in support of Syria's demand for the withdrawal of French and British troops from its territory.

During the Cold War, the socialist-oriented SAR became one of the main partners of the Soviet Union in the Middle East. On September 8, 1980, a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was signed between the two countries. Relations with Damascus acquired particular significance for Moscow after Cairo’s reorientation towards the United States and the conclusion of a separate peace treaty with Israel by Egypt, when Damascus’ policy became the main obstacle to the implementation of Washington’s plans to achieve the emergence of “new Egypts”. Syria became one of the initiators of the creation of the National Front of Resilience and Resistance, which included countries that insisted on continuing the fight against Israel, viewed the United States as an enemy of the Arabs, and called for strengthening cooperation with the USSR. In November 1978, the NFSP initiated the adoption of a decision by the IX meeting of heads of state and government of Arab countries to sever diplomatic relations with Cairo. Largely thanks to the efforts of the SAR, Lebanon denounced the 1983 peace agreement with Israel on March 5, 1984. Damascus played an important - if not decisive - role in the Soviet Union maintaining its positions in the Middle East, despite the loss of Egypt. In turn, the Syrians relied on Moscow’s support in the confrontation with Israel, as well as in strengthening their positions in Lebanon.

Transition of the USSR in the late 80s. to the policy of détente, which entailed the restoration of diplomatic relations with Israel and the mass emigration of Soviet Jews there, and then the decline of Moscow's interest in what was happening in the Middle East, were perceived by Damascus with serious concern. Nevertheless, the parties continued to exchange views on the Middle East settlement, the situation in the Mediterranean, and the situation in the world as a whole. On April 28, 1990, during the visit of SAR President Hafez al-Assad to the Soviet Union, a protocol on consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries was signed.

After the collapse of the USSR, Syria, having shown a “margin of safety,” was able to adapt to new realities and solve its foreign policy problems without outside support. Until the middle of this decade, the Syrian Arab Republic retained its dominant position in Lebanon, the Syrians continue to closely interact with Iran, and, emerging from isolation, have established relationships with the leading states of the Middle East - Egypt and Saudi Arabia. They also have in their hands such leverage on the situation in the region as interaction with radical Palestinian groups, as well as with the Lebanese Hezbollah, the Lebanese Resistance Battalions and the Free Patriotic Movement. As Kh. Assad stated in one of his conversations with the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, E.M. Primakov, “maybe we will not be able to independently lead the matter to a general settlement, but in any case, we are able to prevent such a situation when Syria remains alone face to face with Israel." The curtailment of military-technical cooperation with Russia was to some extent compensated by the establishment of ties in this area with China, North Korea, Ukraine, and Belarus. Internal political stability is maintained.

However, Syria, in conflict with Israel and under US pressure, continues to urgently need Russian support. Moscow, in turn, proceeds from the fact that the Syrian Arab Republic is an influential player in the Middle East arena, without which it is impossible to achieve lasting peace in the region. Maintaining contacts simultaneously with Israel and Syria, as well as with Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah expands opportunities Russia to influence the Middle East settlement process.

Moscow has repeatedly come up with initiatives designed to unblock second-tier banks. Thus, in 1996, she put forward a proposal that the heads of state and government of the countries participating in the conflict undertake obligations to comply with the agreements reached by their predecessors and in parallel move forward on all negotiation “tracks,” including the Syrian-Israeli (so-called “track”). idea of ​​the cross"). However, it was not possible to implement this initiative due to the refusal of B. Netanyahu, who became Prime Minister of Israel, to consider himself bound by the agreements reached by his predecessors I. Rabin and Sh. Peres, and to agree to withdraw from the Golan Heights, but also because for the positions of Hamid Assad, who supported the Russian proposal, but surrounded his agreement with conditions unacceptable to the Israelis.

At the end of 1997, Russian diplomacy managed to prevent the outbreak of an armed conflict between Israel and Syria, when both sides, suspecting each other of intending to launch a preemptive strike, began to draw troops to the ceasefire line. As a result, there was a threat of the situation getting out of control. A decisive role in normalizing the situation was then played by the “shuttle” trips between the two countries by Russian Foreign Minister E.M. Primakov, who managed to convince the parties to the conflict that mutual suspicions were unfounded.

At the same time, at the end of 2009, Washington’s desire to resume negotiations between Syria and Israel under American — and not under American-Russian — auspices gave rise to the potential threat of pushing Russia away from the Syrian-Israeli “track.”

Russia's ability to support Syria is not, however, limitless. Moscow cannot ignore the line in Middle Eastern affairs of the United States, Israel, and Western European powers.

Characteristic in this regard is the position taken by Russia in connection with the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005. Although Damascus's involvement in the terrorist attack was (and remains) unproven, Washington used the incident to force Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon. On February 15, the United States recalled its ambassador from the Syrian Arab Republic, and the State Department stated that “the Syrian military presence in Lebanon and its interference in Lebanese politics are the cause of Lebanese instability.” The American position was supported by Great Britain and France. Finding itself in a minority in the Security Council, the Russian Federation chose not to aggravate relations with the Western powers and voted on April 7, 2005 for resolution 1559, which demanded the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, and on October 31 supported resolution 1636, which, in particular, stated with reference to the conclusions of the D. Mekhlis commission (formed by the Security Council to investigate the circumstances of the death of R. Hariri): “<…>"There are reasonable grounds to believe that the decision to assassinate former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri could not have been taken without the approval of senior Syrian security officials." Left without Russian support, the Syrians withdrew their troops from Lebanon. However, Moscow maintained good relations with both Damascus and Beirut, which allowed it in 2006-2007. to make a significant contribution to efforts to reduce the severity of the crisis between these countries, a request for which Russia was simultaneously asked by SAR President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora in December 2006.

The limited capabilities of the Russian Federation to provide support to Syria are also evidenced by its relatively restrained reaction to the bombing by American aircraft of the outskirts of the Syrian city of Abu Kamal in the fall of 2008. Speaking on November 14 at a meeting of the Security Council, the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN V.I. Churkin then limited himself to stating that this action “runs counter to efforts being made to stabilize the situation in Iraq,” refraining from harsher criticism of US actions, and in particular from using the term “act of aggression.”

In turn, Damascus approaches issues of interaction with Russia with an eye to the West. This is confirmed, for example, by the position he took in connection with the events in Transcaucasia in August 2008. Although the Syrians then expressed support for the actions of the Russian Federation, they did not dare to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Economic cooperation between Russia and Syria is beginning to recover, although in terms of volume it is inferior to what took place during the Soviet period. The leading area of ​​bilateral relations is now the gas sector (which remains one of the few areas where the Russian Federation is able to compete with its competitors). In December 2005, Stroytransgaz concluded two agreements worth $370 million, which provide for this company’s participation in the construction of the Syrian section of the pan-Arab gas pipeline from the border with Jordan to the village of Ar-Rayan, with a length of 320 km, and the construction of a gas processing plant in area of ​​Palmyra. In April 2007, Stroytransgaz signed another agreement - for the construction of a second gas processing plant in the Al-Sebhi area.

Military-technical cooperation with Syria has begun to resume. Moscow, however, is constructing it so that it does not have an unduly negative impact on its relations with Israel and the United States. So, in the late 90s. Russia did not agree to stop supplying the ATS with anti-tank missiles, despite Washington imposing sanctions on the enterprises producing them. At the same time, in 2006, according to A. Tsyganko, a member of the Public Chamber under the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian side, under Israeli pressure, rejected the Syrians’ request to sell them Iskander missiles. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained, “we are ready to sell to Syria weapons that are, first of all, defensive in nature and in no way violate the strategic balance of power in the region.” Recently, contracts have been signed for the supply of ACS for modern combat aircraft, anti-aircraft missile systems, tanks, and anti-tank weapons. The Syrian army, equipped mainly with Soviet and Russian weapons and possessing 600 combat aircraft, 4.5 thousand tanks, 70 OTR launchers, remains quantitatively one of the strongest in the Middle East.

Syria is the only Arab country on whose territory, in Tartus, a logistics support center for the Russian Navy remains. Although the presence of our ships in the Mediterranean is currently symbolic, the use of the base in Tartus could become for Russia, according to the American researcher A. Cohen, “the first step on a long path to the resumption of a global naval presence.”

The Syrians are ready to increase military cooperation with the Russian Federation, apparently believing that this will prompt Moscow to act more decisively on their side. It is symptomatic that after the conclusion of an agreement between Washington and Warsaw on the deployment of elements of American missile defense in Poland, B. Assad spoke in April 2008 to the effect that Syria would be ready to consider Moscow’s possible proposal to deploy Russian Iskander missiles on its territory.

An important component of bilateral relations are cultural and humanitarian ties. The Syrian intelligentsia knows Russian literature and music well. She is especially popular with the works of L.N. Tolstoy, F.M. Dostoevsky, M.A. Sholokhov, A.P. Chekhov, and the works of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov and P.I. Tchaikovsky. Several tens of thousands of Syrians graduated from Soviet and Russian higher educational institutions, approx. 8 thousand of them started families in our country.

The weight and influence of Syria in the Middle East, and in the Arab world as a whole, determine the importance of increasing cooperation with this country to ensure Russia’s interests in the region. Damascus, for its part, needs and will continue to need the support of the Russian Federation as long as the Syrian conflict with Israel continues and tensions in its relations with the United States are not overcome. At the same time, even if the situation around their country normalizes, the Syrians will remain interested in close relations with Russia, since this will allow them to ensure a balanced character for their external relations.

Took extreme forms. The threats posed by terrorists entrenched in Syria have gone beyond the borders of not only this country, but also the entire MENA region (Middle East and North Africa).

On December 11, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Syria. At the Khmeimim airbase, Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with Russian and Syrian military personnel who took part in the anti-terrorist operation in the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief ordered the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff to begin the withdrawal of the Russian group of troops from Syria to permanent deployment points.

A bilateral meeting of the heads of Russia and Syria also took place.

In recent years, political interaction between Russia and Syria has been focused exclusively on issues of internal Syrian settlement. From the very beginning of the Syrian crisis, Russia has insisted on resolving the situation through peaceful means through broad inter-Syrian dialogue.

Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, acts as a guarantor of the truce in Syria. The countries initiated the Astana process, the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue in Sochi, thereby creating conditions for intensifying the process of political settlement.

Thanks to the Astana format, de-escalation zones have been created and are functioning on a temporary basis, making it possible to ensure a sustainable ceasefire, improve the humanitarian situation, and also begin to restore the destroyed social and economic infrastructure.

According to the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation, in 2017, Russia’s trade turnover with Syria amounted to $282.7 million, including Russian exports of $279.8 million and imports of $2.9 million.

The structure of Russian exports includes food products and agricultural raw materials (34.76% of total exports), wood and pulp and paper products (15.59%), chemical products (10.46%), machinery, equipment and vehicles ( 5.01%).

Imports are represented by food products and agricultural raw materials (95.43% of total imports), wood and pulp and paper products (2.51%), chemical industry products (1.00%).

The logistics unit of the USSR Navy was founded in the Syrian port of Tartus.

On January 18, 2017, Russia and Syria signed an agreement on the expansion and modernization of the Russian Navy support center in Syrian Tartus, as well as a protocol defining the conditions for the deployment of Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft in Syria. According to the text of the agreement on the expansion and modernization of the naval station in Tartus, it is valid for 49 years and is automatically extended for subsequent 25-year periods.

Since 1995, the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cultural and Scientific Cooperation has been in force. In October 2017, the Russian World Foundation opened a Russian Center at Damascus State University. It is equipped with a Russian-language library, films, educational programs, etc.

* Terrorist organization banned in Russia

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

Syria burst into the Russian information space on September 30, when the Aerospace Forces began striking the IS infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russian-Syrian relations are already more than seventy years old. Orientalist Anna Batyuchenko recalls this long story.

The USSR was one of the first to recognize the independence of Syria, almost immediately established trade and economic relations with it, and more than once came to the aid in difficult moments for the Arab republic. Soviet-Syrian diplomatic relations were established in 1944, almost immediately after Syria gained independence and even before the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.

Largely thanks to the insistence of the USSR, the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR) was among the founding countries of the UN, and France and Great Britain were soon forced - according to a UN resolution - to withdraw troops from Syrian soil.

Soon, the territory of the Middle East came under the close attention of the United States and the USSR in the Cold War confrontation.

For the first time, the USSR offered military-economic assistance to Syria in 1955 for its refusal to join the Baghdad Pact (CENTO), a military association created at the initiative of the United States, Great Britain and Turkey, which included Iraq, Iran and Pakistan, the main goal of which was the fight against “communist aggression” . Already in 1956, the first 60 specialists were sent to Syria, and at the same time supplies of weapons began (from fighters and tanks to ammunition) from Czechoslovakia with a total value of $18 million. At the end of the year, the USSR and Syria entered into the first direct agreement on the supply of weapons, jets and anti-aircraft guns, as well as on the training of Syrian military specialists.

At this time, the countries of the Baghdad Pact organized economic pressure on Syria, which included a boycott of Syrian goods.

In 1957, Syria entered into an agreement with the USSR on economic and technical cooperation with a total value of $570 million, which largely helped to withstand this boycott.

An agreement was reached on cooperation in the areas of railway construction, geological exploration, irrigation, etc. The official communiqué stated that this agreement is aimed at “quickly overcoming the consequences of colonialism.”

At the same time, the United States and Great Britain considered the issue of intervention in Syria using neighboring countries (mainly Turkey) to establish a more loyal pro-Western regime. In the fall of 1957, the conflict was just a stone's throw away: the Turks gathered troops to the Turkish-Syrian border, the USSR conducted large-scale exercises of the Black Sea Fleet, and the concentration of Soviet and American ships off the coast of Syria increased sharply. The Soviet Navy visited the SAR for the first time on a “friendly visit.” Despite several months of escalating the situation, military action did not come to pass.

In 1971, the material and technical base of the USSR Navy was founded in the Mediterranean port of Tartus.

The Soviet Union captured NATO's southern flank and created a base for access to East Africa and the Indian Ocean. But the main thing is that it provided a base for the Mediterranean squadron of the USSR Navy, which eliminated US domination in this water area.

Syria, which adhered to a socialist orientation, became one of the main partners of our country in the Middle East.

In the 1960s, Israel became Syria's main enemy. In the Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War of 1973, Soviet specialists took part not only in planning, but also directly in conducting combat operations of the SAR troops. Subsequently, Soviet specialists trained the Syrians in piloting techniques and tactics for using fighters and attack aircraft.

In 1973, with the help of Soviet engineers, the construction of irrigation structures and a dam on the Euphrates River was completed, which made it possible to create a hydroelectric power station and reservoir named after Hafez al-Assad (named after the then head of state - the father of the current president).

The Syrian Arab Republic acquired special significance for Moscow after Egypt’s refusal of military cooperation with the USSR, rapprochement with the United States and its conclusion of a separate peace with Israel in 1979. Damascus remained the main outpost for maintaining the USSR's position in the Middle East. The Syrians, in turn, relied on Moscow’s support in confronting Israel and strengthening their positions in Lebanon.

In 1980, the USSR and Syria signed a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, according to which the countries pledged to cooperate and coordinate their actions in the event of a threat to the peace and security of one of the parties.

Tens of thousands of Syrian specialists, both military and civilian, were trained in the USSR.

Back in the mid-1950s, future Syrian President Hafez Assad underwent flight training in the USSR. Now the number of graduates of Soviet and Russian universities in Syria is estimated at 40 thousand people. Such a number of graduates entailed many mixed Soviet-Syrian marriages. As of 2011, the total number of Russians living in Syria was estimated at approximately 100 thousand people. After the collapse of the USSR, military-technical cooperation was curtailed.

Syria had to adapt to new realities, in particular, reorient itself towards Iran.

Despite the fact that weapons were supplied to Syria at prices significantly below cost and in installments, by the end of the 80s the Syrian debt exceeded $13 billion. In 2005, the Russian Federation wrote off more than 70% of Syria's debt.

In 2002, the US government included Syria in the “axis of evil” and accused it of sponsoring terrorism. The Russian Federation did not support American policy towards Syria and managed to maintain good relations with Damascus.

In the 21st century, Russian-Syrian economic cooperation is gradually being restored, although it is inferior to the Soviet one in volume.

The leading direction of bilateral economic relations is the oil and gas sector.

In the period 2000-2005, a number of agreements between Russian oil and gas companies (such as Tatneft, Soyuzneftegaz, Stroytransgaz) were signed in this area with the Syrian side. Stroytransgaz began construction of a gas processing plant and pipeline, as well as the development of gas fields in the SAR, Tatneft and Soyuzneftegaz carried out geological exploration work, including on the shelf. Since 2010, Tatneft began industrial oil production, which was stopped due to the unsafe situation in the country in 2011. Some joint projects are now frozen and are located in territories not controlled by the Syrian authorities.

The only foreign logistics support point for the Russian Navy is located in the Syrian port city of Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea. Now, during the ongoing conflict in the country, Syria is more interested in Russian assistance than ever.