Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is visiting Moscow for the second time in less than four months, and Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed his readiness to help Damascus rebuild its war-ravaged economy, the AP reported.
"I know that there is a lot that needs to be rebuilt in Syria, and our economic operators, including the construction sector, are ready for this joint work," Putin said.
The talks were expected to focus on the future of Russian military bases in Syria, a key bulwark for Moscow in the Mediterranean.
Sharaa, who first visited Russia in October, thanked Putin for helping to stabilize Syria.
In December In 2024, he led a rapid rebel offensive that toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a close Russian ally who enjoyed Moscow's support for years as his government fought a devastating civil war.
The Russian army recently began withdrawing from a base in northeastern Syria, in an area still controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces after the group lost most of its territory to a government offensive.
Putin told Sharaa that Moscow had always supported the integrity of Syria and congratulated him on regaining control of the area, describing it as a "very important step".
"You know that we have always supported the restoration of Syria's territorial integrity and we support all your efforts in this direction," Putin added.
During the meeting, Sharaa stressed the importance of Russia's role in supporting the unity and stability of Syria, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
He noted that in 2025 Syria had overcome major challenges, the latest of which was the unification of its territories, and expressed hope for a transition to stability and peace, the agency added.
Ahead of the meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "all issues related to our military presence in Syria will be discussed during the talks." He declined to comment on reports that Syria's interim government had demanded Assad's extradition.