"Ambassador of the two regimes"... Bashar al-Jaafari continues his work in Moscow "under Russian pressure."

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

**Arab Sea - Follow-ups:** **Syrian political sources said that the former Syrian regime's ambassador to Moscow, Bashar al-Jaafari, is still at his post in the Syrian embassy in Moscow, representing Syrian interests in Russia, five months after the decision to summon him to the central administration in the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Damascus.** **The sources told "Al-Arab Newspaper" that the Syrian ambassador to Moscow refused the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' request to return to Damascus, while Moscow played a key role in his continued position, as it rejected the Syrian authorities' decision to withdraw him and appoint another in his place. The sources pointed out that the appointment of a new ambassador in Moscow or in any other country is not possible without the agreement of both countries.** **The sources confirm that Damascus succumbed to Russian pressure and kept al-Jaafari in his position, and confirmed that the visit of Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani to Moscow in late July addressed this file, which was resolved by keeping al-Jaafari as Syria's ambassador to Moscow until further notice.** **In contrast, the Syrian Foreign Ministry made a complete change to the staff of the Syrian embassy that the Assad regime had appointed in Moscow, and replaced most of the employees and diplomats working in the Syrian embassy in Moscow under the leadership of Bashar al-Jaafari, according to "Arab Sea" sources.** **The Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, issued a decision in early April to transfer the ambassadors of the Syrian Arab Republic in Russia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the central administration in the ministry.** **However, the Syrian ambassador to Russia rejected the decision and expressed his surprise at the Foreign Minister's decision, noting that "his refusal to return is not related to his clinging to his position, especially since he has exceeded the retirement age and suffers from a health condition that requires follow-up." But he believes, according to a source who spoke to "Arab Sea" earlier, that the decision is "short-sighted, impulsive, and harms Syria's interests at this stage," especially since the ministry is heading to appoint a chargé d'affaires from the employees of the embassy itself.** **Rejection and... Defection** **Yesterday, Syrian media sources quoted diplomats as saying that the Syrian ambassador to Cairo and Damascus's representative to the Arab League, Hossam El-Din Ala, refused the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the transitional government to return him to the central administration in Damascus, and left directly to Switzerland, where he applied for political asylum.** **The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a decision on June 29, 2025, to return Ambassador Ala to Damascus and grant him a period to arrange his affairs, which ended in early August. However, the Syrian diplomat left Cairo immediately after the end of the specified period, heading to Switzerland, where he officially submitted his resignation from his position in a letter sent to the ministry.** **Transfer and Restructuring Movement** **A few days ago, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a decision to return a group of diplomats from four Arab and Western countries to the central administration in Damascus. Syrian media sources close to the Syrian authorities said that the decision included the Syrian embassies in Beirut, Riyadh, and Berlin, in addition to the consulate in Istanbul, and the permanent mission to the United Nations in New York.** **The sources indicated that the Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, issued the decision a few days ago, and the actual implementation is scheduled to begin in the next few weeks, as part of the restructuring of Syrian diplomatic missions.** **On August 19, the Syrian President, Ahmed al-Shara, issued a decree appointing Ibrahim Abdel-Malik Alabi as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations in New York.** **The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement that this step comes within the framework of strengthening the Syrian diplomatic presence on the international scene and highlighting national competencies with legal and human rights experience.** **Accusations of Incitement** **The past period witnessed accusations against Syrian embassies abroad of inciting against the ruling authorities in Damascus, especially after the commission of massacres in the coast, and then in Sweida, where many diplomats and employees of these embassies, especially in Europe, were accused of inciting demonstrations against the current administration in European cities.** **As for Syria's ambassador to Moscow, Bashar al-Jaafari, he is widely regarded among supporters of the new authority as still loyal to the former regime, despite his appearance in a video after the fall of al-Assad, announcing that "many national Syrians suffered from injustice and marginalization due to the system of corruption that wreaked havoc on the country's capabilities and institutions." He then affirmed his support for the new administration and placed himself at its disposal.** **Al-Jaafari represented the Assad regime for many years at the United Nations, and strongly defended Bashar al-Assad's policies, becoming one of the most prominent faces of the regime in international forums, before being transferred to Moscow in recent years.**