Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa for progress in restoring Syria's territorial integrity after government forces captured vast areas controlled by Kurdish forces, Reuters and the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
"I would like to congratulate you on the progress made in restoring Syria's territorial integrity," Putin told al-Sharaa, who is on a visit to Moscow today, his second in less than four months. The Syrian interim president's visit will focus on issues related to the future of Russian military bases on Syrian territory.
Ahmed al-Sharaa first visited Russia in October last year. He led a rebel offensive that toppled President Bashar al-Assad, who had enjoyed years of Moscow's support during the devastating civil war.
Russia, which has recently focused its efforts on the war in Ukraine and maintains only a small military contingent in Syria, has made no attempt to counter the rebel offensive. Moscow granted political asylum to Assad and his family after he fled Syria.
Although the two sides were on opposing sides during the civil war, the Syrian interim government has expressed a willingness to develop diplomatic relations with Moscow in the hope of rebuilding Syria from the devastating effects of the war and setting new guidelines for its foreign policy.
It is essential for the Kremlin to maintain its naval and air bases on the Syrian coast, which are the only outposts that play a key role in maintaining Russia's military presence in the Mediterranean. Russian authorities expressed hope for an agreement to preserve the Hmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base.
Before the start of the meeting between the two heads of state, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that "all issues related to our military presence in Syria will be discussed during the negotiations."
Recently, Russian forces began withdrawing from their positions in northeastern Syria from areas still controlled by the Kurdish military coalition Syrian Democratic Forces, after the latter lost control of most of their territories following the offensive by government forces, the Associated Press reminds.