BEIRUT, October 16. /TASS/. The working visit of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Moscow is a signal that Damascus may be looking to Russia to aid in its economic recovery, said Tarek al-Ahmed, member of the National Bloc patriotic coalition, considered a leading expert on Russian-Syrian relations.

"The capabilities of Russia, with which we have long-term cooperation in various fields, are of priority importance at this stage, since Damascus' partnership with the United States and the European Union is only getting better after a long period of economic blockade," he told TASS in an interview. "The time factor plays an important role in the Syrian leadership’s choice of Russia, which is able to help Syria faster than the West."

According to the expert, Russia has extensive experience in post-war reconstruction and can now provide the Syrians with everything they need to rebuild their economy, leading them toward recovery. "This is first and foremost in the electric power industry, but we are also talking about major projects such as the expansion of ports, the development of road transport infrastructure, and the development of gas and phosphate deposits," he said.

According to Al-Ahmed, also on Russia’s side is the presence in the country of about 50,000 graduates of Russian universities who can be involved in certain projects.

"The strategic nature of relations between Moscow and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf opens up great investment opportunities," he said.

"As for the political situation, cooperation with Russia, which does not interfere in the internal affairs of Syria, can nevertheless have a positive impact on the process of national reconciliation of Syrians, and this is a prerequisite for revival."