Syria’s new transitional government says there is no place for Russian presence in Syria a week after the country’s long-time President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown. The new government also says it is open to engage in contacts with all countries to pave Syria’s new future.
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00:00A large convoy of Russian military vehicles was seen withdrawing from Syria's western
00:06city of Latakia.
00:08They were headed towards the nearby city of Tartus, where the Kremlin operates a naval
00:13base.
00:14It's the third time in the span of a week that Moscow has engaged in the vacating, shifting
00:19or movement of its military assets in the country.
00:23This has prompted claims of a potential Russian withdrawal just one week after their long-time
00:27ally, President Bashar al-Assad, was ousted.
00:31And the spokesman for the new transitional government in Syria, Obeida Arnaout, has declared
00:36the country's new position.
00:55The call for Russia's withdrawal from Syria could go a long way towards building bridges
00:59with the West.
01:01The EU announced that it had taken the first step towards making contact with the HTS since
01:06their dramatic overthrowing of Assad.
01:09And ensuring a Syrian future without Russia is high on the bloc's agenda.
01:13It should be a condition for the new leadership that they also get rid of the Russian influence
01:20there because it is a base where they also conduct their activities towards Africa and
01:28the southern neighbors, so this is definitely of the worry of European security as well.
01:36The HTS say they plan to lay the foundation for a Syrian future that is built on unity
01:41and justice.
01:43But the group's history, marred with terrorist activities and accusations of human rights
01:47abuses, is leading many Western countries to tread with caution.