Peace, arms high on Bashar agenda

Dubai Syrian President Bashar Al Assad is meeting with Russain President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday in Moscow. Syrian strategists told Gulf News that talks would most likely address Middle East peace and Syrian armament.

Because Syria lacks political support in the international arena, Bashar is looking towards Russia to supply them with weaponry in case of any possible military confrontation Syria might face, Syrian strategists explained. Syria also hopes to enhance its strategic alliance with Russia to levels it enjoyed during the Cold War era, they added.

Dr Emad Fawzi Al Shuaibi, Head of the Data and Strategic Studies Centre in Damascus, said Bashar's visit would demonstrate the growing cooperation between the two countries. This will be Bashar's third trip to Moscow having visited in January 2005 and then again in December 2006.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1991, Syria lost its prime international ally and has been looking for the day when Russia will assume its role as a major power balance in the world politics.

Blatant bias

"Indications suggest that Russia has become capable of playing such a role in today's world. This will make a lot of difference for Syria," Dr Al Shuaibi said.

"The visit will cement the close ties between the two countries both militarily and politically and will give the new Russian president a chance to know Bashar more closely," he added.

Russia has stood strongly by Syria for three years, Al Shuaibi explained. "Russia has helped Syria avert two major threats. The first when it was facing strong criticism by the US over cooperation in Iraq and the second when it came out strongly against the expansion of Israel into Syria during its 2006 war with Lebanon," he said.

More important than arms, Al Shuaibi said the discussions between Bashar and Medvedev would focus on the Middle East peace conference to be held in Moscow in October. "From a Syrian point of view, this will in a way balance the US's blatant bias towards Israel and could help in reaching a lasting peace agreement in the region," he said.

Ayman Abdul Nour, a Syrian political analyst, said Bashar's visit to Russia is very strategic.

He explained that although the visit is not directly linked to the situation in Georgia, Russia is more willing to give Syria weapons now as a way to get back at the US, which it views as the instigator in the conflict with Georgia.

According to Abdul Nour, military cooperation will exceed the selling of arms.

"The meetings will discuss the establishment of a Russian base in Syria in 2017 when its lease with its military facilities in Ukraine will expire," he said.