Syrian leader meets Putin, Russia eyes deal on military bases

AFP | Moscow

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Russia Syrian President Ahmed alSharaa met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow yesterday, as the Kremlin seeks to secure the future of military bases vital for its operations in the Middle East.

Russia was a key ally of Sharaa’s predecessor Bashar al-Assad during the bloody 14- year Syrian civil war. Putin has been working to build relations with Sharaa since, though Russia’s continued sheltering of Assad and his wife in Moscow remains a major obstacle to improving ties.

“Much has been accomplished in terms of restoring our interstate relations,” Putin said in a televised meeting with Sharaa.“We have closely monitored your efforts to restore Syria’s territorial integrity and I want to congratulate you on the momentum this process is gaining,” Putin said, apparently referring to Sharaa’s recent offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria’s northeast.