The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that President Bashar Al-Assad left the presidential post and Syria after negotiations with participants in the Syrian conflict, giving instructions to transfer power peacefully.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday, the ministry said it has been following the “dramatic events” in Syria “with extreme concern.”

It added that Moscow had not directly participated in these talks.

❗️BREAKING: ASSAD LEFT THE PRESIDENCY AND SYRIA AFTER NEGOTIATIONS WITH A NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE SYRIAN CONFLICT, INSTRUCTED TO PEACEFULLY TRANSFER POWER, according to Russian MFA.

Russia did not participate in the negotiations. pic.twitter.com/iNfrUpbsS3

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) December 8, 2024

Russia also called on all parties involved in the conflict to abstain from violence and resolve their issues through political means.

Regarding Russia’s military bases in Syria, the Foreign Ministry said that there was no security threat to the bases at this moment, clarifying however that they are in a mode of increased combat readiness.

Syria’s armed opposition entered the capital, Damascus, early on Sunday as Prime Minister Mohamed Ghazi Al-Jalali voiced readiness to cooperate with any leadership that is chosen by the Syrian people.

Source: Agencies