Russia temporarily suspends the acceptance of new Syrian students in its universities.

The Russian Federal Agency for International Humanitarian Cooperation has announced a temporary freeze on accepting new Syrian students to Russian universities for the current academic year due to the logistical and political challenges facing Syria.

Pavel Shevtsov, the agency's deputy director, confirmed in an interview with the Russian news agency "Novosti" that the decision does not apply to Syrian students already in Russia, who will retain their government-funded seats without any changes to their academic status.

Shevtsov attributed the decision to the political unrest in Syria and the disruption of many government institutions, leading to significant obstacles in issuing official documents such as passports, necessary for travel and university registration.

He added: "We have made efforts to provide support, but internal complexities in Syria have made it difficult to complete the procedures, forcing us to take this exceptional measure for at least this year."

This decision comes within the exceptional circumstances in Syria, with the Russian side confirming that the suspension is temporary and aims to ensure the smooth running of the educational process for future students.