Israel exploited Assad govt’s fall to impose expansionist, destabilizing project, Syrian FM claims

Syrian FM Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani accused Israel of pursuing expansionist goals and said Moscow aided Assad’s regime, as Syria rebuilds ties with China.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani warned that, in his view, Israel is “pursuing expansionist projects, exploiting recent changes in Syria and destabilizing the region,” during an interview with state-run Al Ikhbariyah TV last week.

“Israel wanted to impose a new reality and an expansionist project, exploiting the change that took place in Syria,” he said.

He also affirmed his view that Israel’s actions are reinforcing Syria’s instability.

Violence in Sweida is a ‘wound’

The violence in Sweida is “a Syrian wound,” while commenting that attempts to “internationalize” the events in the Druze city served “specific external agendas,” Shaibani said.

Agreements made between Russia and the deposed Assad government have been suspended and are “not accepted.”

“Syria’s dealings with Russia have been gradual, and no new agreements have been signed,” Shaibani said.

Shaibani: Moscow caused suffering for Syrian people

Moscow participated “in the suffering of the Syrian people” as an ally of Assad, Shaibani claimed.

Before Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the militant group led by Sharaa which deposed former president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, launched their final military offensive in November, they were “planning how to deal politically with the change that was going to happen,” Shaibani said.

The challenge was “how to prevent Russia from supporting Assad’s regime in any confrontation,” Shaibani clarified.

Any relations with Russia, China, or Europe must be harnessed for the benefit of the Syrian people, he added.

A meeting between HTS and Russia was held on December 6, 2024, in order to remove the threat of Russian forces, Shaibani said, according to Al Arabiya.

Russia has reduced their deployment in Syria, limiting their presence to Hmeimim and Tartus bases, Shaibani noted.

Remaining issues concerning Russian troops in Syria were raised during Sharaa’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, Shaibani noted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov affirmed to Shaibani that the Russian military would not remain in Syria if Damascus refuses their presence, Al Arabiya reported.

“We have succeeded in transforming Syrian diplomacy into one that is open to dialogue and cooperation,” he added.

Shaibani emphasized during the interview that Syria has not aligned with “any international camp or axis,” and is “engaging with all countries in a balanced way,” Syria’s official news agency SANA noted.

“At this stage, we are planning Syria’s diplomacy rather than merely responding to it, to firmly place Syria on the international map,” Shaibani said.

He also claimed that the foreign ministry is working to repair the “image tarnished by the previous regime, particularly in Lebanon, and to address the issue of Syrians detained abroad on politically motivated charges,” SANA reported.

Syria rebuilding relationship with China

“We are restoring our relationships with China, which previously sided politically with the former regime and used its veto power in its favor,” Shaibani said, noting that Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government will make its first official visit to Beijing in November.

He also affirmed the need for swiftly implementing the agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces into Syrian state institutions.

“There is a historic opportunity for north and east Syria to play an active role. Any delay in implementing the agreement will harm civilians and impede the return of displaced people,” Shaibani said, adding that the government completely rejects federalism in Syria as a “non-negotiable.”

Economic progress following US call to lif sanctions, UK removing terror designation

Shaibani also addressed economic progress in Syria, amid the US envoy Tom Barrack calling for the lifting of all remaining sanctions, and Britain’s removal of HTS from its proscribed terror list.

“It will take time, but next year the people will see tangible improvements in living conditions,” he promised.