Moscow, Dec. 24 (BNA): Dr. Asaad Hassan Al Shaibani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic, said that Syrian-Russian relations are entering a new phase, noting that this year marks a starting point for overcoming the effects of a 14-year war.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Dr. Al Shaibani said that Syria seeks to elevate its relations with Russia to a strategic level that serves their shared interests. He added that Damascus aims to attract foreign investments and counts on Russian support in this regard, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Dr. Al Shaibani also pointed out that the Syrian government succeeded within one year in ending drug trafficking, describing this as part of broader efforts to restore stability and advance development in the country.

On Tuesday, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs announced the arrival of a Syrian ministerial delegation in Moscow to hold talks with Russian officials. The ministry’s media office said the delegation includes Dr. Al Shaibani, Murhaf Abu Qasra, Defence Minister of Syria; and several senior intelligence officials, in the framework of discussing bilateral cooperation and relations between the two countries.

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