MOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian government delegation has arrived in Damascus for the first time since Moscow’s ally President Bashar al-Assad was toppled, Russia’s TASS state news agency reported on Tuesday.
The delegation, which is expected to hold talks with Syria’s new rulers, includes Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Alexander Lavrentiev, the Kremlin’s special envoy for Syria.
Russia, which granted Assad refuge, is hoping to retain its two bases in Syria, a naval base in Tartous and the Hmeimim air base near the port city of Latakia.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
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