AMMAN, Jordan -- The Syrian government has signed a joint development agreement with a Russian energy company to explore for oil in the Middle Eastern country's territorial waters off the Mediterranean coast, according to SANA, the Syrian state news agency.
The 25-year deal with SoyuzNefteGaz offers a badly needed source of cash to the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and suggests that Russia has confidence in the regime's ability to survive Syria's civil war -- with or without Assad.
http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-russia-energy-oil-gas-syria-20131226,0,4090804.story#ixzz2orLAi7Go