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.
The European Union’s high-stakes strategy to leverage hundreds of billions in frozen Russian capital to prop up Ukraine’s defence has hit a critic...
Rescuers in Sri Lanka are racing against rising floodwaters and treacherous terrain today after a powerful storm system slammed into the island nation...
A simmering diplomatic feud between Washington and Pretoria has erupted into a full-scale crisis, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa describ...
Making his diplomatic debut in Türkiye, the first American Pope warned a "piecemeal" World War III endangers humanity. Leo XIV met President Recep Ta...
The death toll from devastating floods across Southeast Asia climbed to at least 183 people on Friday (28 November). Authorities in Indonesia, Malaysi...
The European Union’s high-stakes strategy to leverage hundreds of billions in frozen Russian capital to prop up Ukraine’s defence has hit a critical roadblock, with Belgium warning that the move could torpedo fragile diplomatic openings aimed at ending the conflict.
Rescuers in Sri Lanka are racing against rising floodwaters and treacherous terrain today after a powerful storm system slammed into the island nation, killing at least 46 people and displacing tens of thousands in a disaster that threatens to strain the country’s resources.
A simmering diplomatic feud between Washington and Pretoria has erupted into a full-scale crisis, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa describing U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ban South Africa from the 2026 G20 summit as "regrettable" and based on "misinformation."
Making his diplomatic debut in Türkiye, the first American Pope warned a "piecemeal" World War III endangers humanity. Leo XIV met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed on Thursday (27 November), urging an end to global conflicts.
At least 47 people have died and another 21 are reported missing following ten days of heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides across Sri Lanka, local media reported on Thursday (27 November).
Hong Kong fire authorities said they expected to wrap up search and rescue operations on Friday after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex, killing at least 128 people, injuring 79 and leaving around 200 still missing.
A passenger aircraft from Polish carrier LOT veered off a taxiway at Lithuania's Vilnius airport after arriving from Warsaw on Wednesday, halting all traffic, the airport operator said.
Netflix crashed on Wednesday for about an hour in the U.S. as it launched season five of "Stranger Things", with the service becoming inaccessible to many subscribers within minutes of the episodes going live at 8 p.m. local time.
Thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets of Sofia on Wednesday to protest against the government’s draft budget for 2026, the first to be prepared in euros ahead of the country’s planned eurozone entry on 1 January 2026.
The European Union’s high-stakes strategy to leverage hundreds of billions in frozen Russian capital to prop up Ukraine’s defence has hit a critical roadblock, with Belgium warning that the move could torpedo fragile diplomatic openings aimed at ending the conflict.
A simmering diplomatic feud between Washington and Pretoria has erupted into a full-scale crisis, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa describing U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ban South Africa from the 2026 G20 summit as "regrettable" and based on "misinformation."
Making his diplomatic debut in Türkiye, the first American Pope warned a "piecemeal" World War III endangers humanity. Leo XIV met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed on Thursday (27 November), urging an end to global conflicts.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 28th of November, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Washington is set to "permanently pause" work on migration from all "Third World Countries." U.S. President Donald Trump announced the move on Thursday (27 November) after the death of a National Guard member in an attack by an Afghan national near the White House on Wednesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment