MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The issue of Russian military bases in Syria will be addressed within the framework of the dialogue between Moscow and Damascus, while the European Union has no role in this matter, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

"The issue of Russian military bases in Syria does not concern the European Union. It will be considered exclusively within the framework of the dialogue between Moscow and Damascus," she told a news briefing.

On December 16, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told a news conference following a meeting of EU foreign ministers that the withdrawal of Russian bases should be a condition for the European Union's dialogue with the new Syrian authorities. She argued that Iran and Russia were not entitled to playing any role in shaping Syria’s future.

In late November, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive against Syrian army positions in Aleppo and Idlib provinces. By the evening of December 7, they had captured Aleppo, Hama, Deraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered Damascus. President Bashar Assad resigned and left the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who since January 2024 led the so-called Salvation Government in Idlib province, announced his appointment as interim prime minister. The transitional period will last until March 1, 2025.