Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a historic visit, the first since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which had granted him political asylum in Moscow.

At the start of his speech, Al-Sharaa joked with Putin about the long staircase at the Kremlin where the meeting took place. He emphasized that Syria aims to reset its relations with Russia, with stability in the country and the region being the top priority. Al-Sharaa highlighted the serious cooperation between Syria and Russia, including in the economic sphere, and thanked Putin for hosting him in Moscow, calling the visit “an important one.” He added, “We respect all past agreements with Russia and are working to redefine the nature of our relations.”

For his part, Putin praised the longstanding ties between Russia and Syria, noting that the countries share a special relationship that has developed over decades. He described Syrian parliamentary elections as a major success that will strengthen links among all political forces.

Putin concluded by welcoming Al-Sharaa to Russia and confirming that Moscow is ready to hold regular consultations with Syria through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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