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Russian President Vladimir Putin met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Kremlin on Wednesday, with Putin endorsing Damascus's efforts to reunify Syrian territory and calling the return of areas east of the Euphrates to government control an important step.
"The return of the areas east of the Euphrates to the Syrian government is an important step that will contribute to the unity of Syrian territory," Putin said during a joint press conference with al-Sharaa.
"We affirm the necessity of preserving Syria's unity and territorial integrity and support your efforts in this direction," Putin added during their Kremlin meeting.
Putin expressed satisfaction at meeting al-Sharaa again in Moscow, noting significant progress since their first meeting.
"Since our first meeting, we have done a lot of work, especially in the economic field and increasing trade exchange. We are working on developing relations in all fields," Putin said.
"Russian-Syrian relations have deep roots, and we are keen to continuously develop them," he added.
Sharaa said he was pleased to visit Moscow, noting many common topics between the two countries.
"Syria over the past year has overcome many obstacles, the latest being the challenge of unifying its territory," al-Sharaa said.
"Russia supports the unity and stability of Syrian territory and has a historic role in the stability of the entire region. We hope these efforts continue so that the Middle East region is in the best state of development and prosperity," al-Sharaa added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the leaders would discuss Russia's military presence in Syria during the meeting, along with economic cooperation and the situation in the Middle East.
Al-Sharaa arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for official talks on bilateral relations and the latest regional developments.
He was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including:
This marks al-Sharaa's second visit to Moscow. He previously visited on Oct. 15, meeting Putin at the Kremlin to discuss bilateral relations and ways to enhance strategic cooperation in various fields.
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