A senior Russian military official revealed plans to expand his country’s industrial-military structures in Syria’s city of Tartus, in addition to the ongoing extension of the Russian military base there.
“We have a joint project with the [Russian] Industry and Trade Ministry for the construction of a shipbuilding workshop or a shipyard in Tartus to repair different types of vessels. Design is being worked on and an advance team has departed for the city,” Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov told the Kommersant newspaper on Monday.
Moscow had earlier announced that it was discussing with Damascus several projects related to the establishment of industrial infrastructure, including the expansion of Tartus port, the rehabilitation and expansion of Syrian airports and the construction of new civil airports.
This is the first time, however, that Moscow announces the establishment of a huge industrial project in Syria.
Russia is currently expanding the port of Tartus by building new berths and rehabilitating it to receive large vessels. It has been also working to develop the Russian naval base in Tartus, with the aim of turning it into an integrated military base.
In Damascus, Minister of Transport Ali Hammoud announced that his ministers “are discussing with the Russians the expansion of Tartus port to carry large cargoes and the construction of deep berths.”
He made his remarks during a meeting for the Syrian People Council’s on the performance of his ministry.
Separately, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed hope that the visit of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to Damascus over the weekend and his meeting with his Syrian counterpart would “contribute to the full return of Syria to the League of Arab States.”
A statement by the ministry said that Moscow welcomed the first visit of an Arab state’s president to Syria, hoping that the outcomes of the visit would help restore relations between Syria and Arab countries.
Russia believed that Syria’s “quick return to the Arab family will help significantly in the process of the Syrian settlement in accordance with the original principles of international law and the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations,” it added.
Bashir’s visit to Damascus triggered controversy in Russian media after some of them reported that he had arrived at Damascus International Airport aboard a Russian military plane.
But Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov avoided answering questions from journalists on the subject, saying on Monday he knew “no details of this kind.”
“I do not have information, if you think that the Defense Ministry plane made that trip, it would be better to ask the Defense Ministry," he said.
