Syria received a new shipment of its local currency from Russia on Wednesday, with more deliveries expected in the future, according to a Syrian government official.
The cash arrived by plane at Damascus International Airport and was transported to the Syrian central bank in a convoy of trucks, a source cited by The Times of Israel.
The exact amount of money in the shipment was not disclosed, but previous deliveries from Russia have been worth hundreds of billions of Syrian pounds, or tens of millions of U.S. dollars.
Syria has relied on Russia to print its currency since the start of the civil war, after European sanctions forced Damascus to end a previous contract with an Austrian company. The agreement with Russia has ensured a steady supply of banknotes for Syria’s economy.
Following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December, Russia has maintained strong ties with the new Syrian government. In January, a senior Russian diplomat visited Damascus, and in February, President Ahmed al-Sharaa spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In earlier meetings between the two countries, Syria has demanded reparations from Russia and the extradition of Assad in return for permitting Moscow to keep its military bases in the country.
The new currency delivery comes as Syria faces a serious cash shortage, which officials blame on delayed Russian shipments and hoarding of Syrian pounds. The shortage has made it difficult for people to access their savings and has put pressure on businesses, which are already struggling with competition from cheap imports.
