Russian President Vladimir Putin met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Moscow on Wednesday, marking his first visit to Russia since seizing power from former leader Bashar al-Assad late last year.
At the Kremlin meeting, Putin congratulated al-Sharaa on Syria’s recent parliamentary elections and said Moscow was ready to boost political and economic co-operation with Damascus.
"I believe that this is a great success for you, because it leads to the consolidation of society, and despite the fact that Syria is currently going through difficult times, it will nevertheless strengthen ties and cooperation between all political forces in Syria," Putin said .
Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa told Russian president Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Syria will respect all past agreements, in his first visit to Moscow since rebels led by al-Sharaa toppled Russia's ally President Bashar al-Assad last year.
"There are bilateral relations and shared interests that bind us with Russia, and we respect all agreements made with it. We are working on redefining the nature of relations with Russia," al-Sharaa, who was speaking in Arabic, told Putin.
According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, the aim of the meeting was to discuss regional and international developments, as well as future co-operation in trade, energy and security. Al-Sharaa also met members of the Syrian community in Russia.
The visit comes despite the postponement of an Arab summit in Moscow that al-Sharaa had originally planned to attend. A Syrian official told local media that discussions would also cover Russia’s continued military presence at the Tartous naval base and the Hmeimim airbase, as well as al-Sharaa’s formal request for the handover of Assad, who has been granted asylum in Russia.
Al-Sharaa, a former militant leader who headed the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda before leading rebel forces into Damascus in December, assumed the presidency in January after the collapse of Assad’s two-decade rule.
Since Assad was ousted, Moscow has sought to preserve its influence in Syria, maintaining dialogue with the new government and offering diplomatic support following Israeli strikes on Syrian territory.
In July, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani visited Moscow for talks with Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the first such meeting since the change of power in Damascus.
Putin’s meeting with al-Sharaa on Wednesday signals Russia’s intent to remain a key player in post-Assad Syria while recalibrating its alliance with the country’s new leadership.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 11 November. Today, we cover Russia-Ukraine peace talks, political tensions in Washington, strikes in Spain, espionage allegations involving Nvidia's CEO, and climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye.
Four million workers across Spain joined a general strike on Wednesday over the country’s deepening housing crisis, unions said, bringing disruption to factories, ports, shops and public transport just weeks before a snap general election.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence, energy cooperation and economic resilience topping the agenda. Azerbaijan’s role in regional peace and connectivity was also in focus.
Iran has unveiled a new underground missile and drone base, warning that it will respond forcefully to any attack, as tensions persist with the U.S. and oil tankers continue to be struck by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence, energy cooperation and economic resilience topping the agenda. Azerbaijan’s role in regional peace and connectivity was also in focus.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is stepping down amid reports linking him to a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China, throwing the future of the $4 trillion chipmaker into uncertainty.
Tajikistan is urging regional allies to step up support for its border with Afghanistan following a series of deadly armed incidents. Despite building more than 80 new border outposts, Dushanbe says it needs further assistance to secure its southern frontier.
Eight people have been killed and at least 17 injured after an apartment building collapsed into a neighbouring construction site in Brooklyn, New York, as rescuers continued searching the rubble for possible survivors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for facilitating talks between Russia and Ukraine, but warned that any foreign troops deployed in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets by Moscow.
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