Al-Shara Discusses Relations with Russia and Sends an Invitation to Trump
The head of the new Syrian administration, Ahmad Al-Shara, described the relationship with Russia in a televised interview as “strategic,” emphasizing that Syria has shared interests with Russia. He stated that Syria does not wish for Russia to exit Syrian territory in a manner that undermines the nature of their bilateral ties.
In his remarks, Al-Shara called on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to avoid adopting the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden, and to take the initiative to lift economic sanctions on Syria. This comes as a response to U.S. conditions calling for monitoring the behavior of the new Syrian leadership and fulfilling certain requirements during the transitional phase before considering such measures.
Al-Shara defended accusations of favoring a single political faction in appointments to ministries, governorates, and key state institutions, particularly selecting members from “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS). He argued that the current phase demands cohesive operations and warned that power-sharing would derail the transition. He added that the primary goal now is to prepare for an extended transitional government.
Al-Shara projected that drafting a new constitution could take up to three years, while organizing elections would require an accurate population census, which might take about four years, according to his estimates.
