Damascus has expressed a clear desire to resume operations of the Russian House cultural center in Syria, though Moscow is prioritizing security considerations, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Evgeny Primakov said in an interview with Vedomosti.
“Through diplomatic channels, the Syrian side has explicitly stated its wish to restore full relations and reopen the Russian House,” Primakov noted. “They’ve been direct about wanting the cultural center back up and running, including restarting student recruitment under the quota program.”
Moscow, however, is approaching the issue cautiously. “We’re focusing on security guarantees, since not all armed groups in the country are fully under control,” Primakov emphasized. “The safety of the Russian House and its future staff is our primary concern — especially if, or rather when, operations resume.”
He added that Russia’s competent authorities would also need to vet any incoming Syrian students to ensure they’re law-abiding and understand their purpose in coming to Russia. “This work must be done with the current Syrian authorities — no rush jobs, but no unnecessary delays either,” Primakov said.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from TASS