“The presidents will discuss current issues of further developing Russian-Syrian political, trade, economic, and humanitarian cooperation and prospects for the comprehensive settlement of the situation in Syria and around it,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Al-Assad was received by Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Mikhail Bogdanov as a special representative for Putin, the Russian Ambassador in Damascus Alexander Efimov, and Syria’s Ambassador in Moscow, Bashar al-Jaafari.

He is accompanied on his visit by a large ministerial delegation. (ILKHA)