NEW YORK, December 24. /TASS/. Syria's new authorities will focus on issues such as the status of the LGBT community (considered extremist and banned in Russia), women's dress code, and alcohol consumption, said Mohammed Khaled, a representative of the political committee of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement (banned in Russia), which has taken control of the republic.

The representative outlined the priorities of the transitional government of Syria, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted. According to Khaled, "elections will have to wait for now."

"Different people have different cultures. Syria has its own identity, and the majority of its population is Muslim," the representative said.

In late November, Syria’s armed opposition launched a large-scale offensive against government forces. On December 8, they entered Damascus, while the army withdrew from the Syrian capital. Syria's President Bashar Assad resigned and left the country, issuing directives for the peaceful transfer of authority. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government until March 1, 2025.

On December 12, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who also serves as special presidential envoy for the Middle East and Africa, told reporters that the Russian side has established interaction with the political committee of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement (banned in Russia). It is headed by the leader of the new Syrian authorities, al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.