Syrian opposition talks about the future of Russian military bases.

Ahmed Al-Asrawi, a member of the executive branch and head of the foreign relations department of the Syrian opposition National Coordination Committee, told RIA Novosti that Syria is not abandoning its agreements with Russia for its own benefit. This was his response regarding the future of Russian military bases in Syria amid the collapse of the previous government.

Al-Asrawi said: “We must not contradict all agreements that are beneficial to Syria and continue to be beneficial to Syria, and we must link them to Syria’s interests and its connection to the Arab cause.”

Al-Asrawi also emphasized that there are forces within the Syrian opposition that do not harbor hostile views toward Russia and are willing to build relations with any party based on Syria's national interests.

Al-Asrawi added: “I would never hold a hostile view toward Russia or any other country that does not hold a hostile view toward the Syrian people, their interests, and the interests of their homeland.”

In this vein, the politician noted that his Arab Social Democratic Union party – part of the moderate, unarmed opposition coalition, the Syrian National Coordination Committee, established in 2011 – is ready to build relationships with all those working for the benefit of the Syrian people and to restore normalcy in the country; adding that each party meeting these criteria will “play a certain role” in Syria.

The Syrian National Coordination Committee was established amidst the outbreak of anti-government protests in the country in 2011 by several left-wing parties in Syria, including the three main Kurdish parties. The Committee – which identifies itself as the "internal opposition" – actively participated in the formation of the "high-level negotiating committee" at the unification conference in Riyadh in 2015, and also engaged in the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva.