Moscow-SANA
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa met on Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.
The meeting addressed bilateral relations between Syria and Russia and ways to strengthen strategic cooperation across various sectors.
At the start of the meeting, President Al-Sharaa emphasized the deep historical ties between the two countries, noting that Syria is entering a new phase in which it seeks to rebuild its political and strategic relations with regional and global powers, mainly, the Russian Federation.
“Syria and Russia share a long-standing historical relation, along with bilateral ties and mutual interests in several fields, including Syria’s energy sector, which heavily relies on Russian expertise,” President al-Sharaa said.
The President added: “We, respect all past agreements and are working to redefine the nature of these relations in a way that ensures Syria’s independence and national sovereignty.”
He affirmed that Syria’s territorial integrity and security are linked to regional and global stability.
President Al-Sharaa also thanked President Putin for the warm reception.
For his part, President Vladimir Putin noted that Russia–Syria relations date back to more than 80 years, rooted in a strong friendship that began during the Soviet era in 1941.
He stressed that Russia has never pursued narrow interests or short-term political gains in its approach to Syria.
Putin highlighted the deep social and historical ties between the two peoples and mentioned that over 4,000 Syrians are currently studying in Russian universities and institutes, hoping that the Syrian students would contribute to Syria’s future development.
The Russian President praised the successful parliamentary elections held in Syria on the fifth of this month, saying: “The elections were a major achievement, helping unify society despite the sensitive conditions Syria is facing.”
He emphasized that such steps are vital for the cohesion and strength of the Syrian state.
He also stressed the importance of resuming the work of the Russian-Syrian Joint Governmental Committee, which was launched in 1993 and recently resumed its activities under the leadership of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
“Many important ideas have been identified, and we will do our utmost to implement them and bring them to life. Naturally, we agreed to hold regular consultations between our foreign ministries,” Putin said.
Putin welcomed President Al-Sharaa and his accompanying delegation to Russia and expressed his pleasure at meeting with him.
President Al-Sharaa was accompanied on his visit to Moscow by Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani, Defense Minister Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra, General Intelligence Chief Hussein Al-Salama and Presidency Secretary-General Maher Al-Sharaa.
This marks President Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s first visit to Russia. It follows a visit by Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani to Moscow last July, during which he met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
In September, President Al-Sharaa also received a high-level Russian delegation in Damascus led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and develop bilateral relations across various fields in service of both nations’ interests.
Mazen Eyon
