Syrian President Assad Arrives In Moscow, Will Hold Important Meeting With President Putin
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with Michael Bogdanov, the special representative of Russian President Vladmir Putin at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia. Source: the Syrian Presidency Office.
On March 15, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Moscow on his first extended visit to the country since the outbreak of the Syrian war more than a decade ago.
A large ministerial delegation is accompanying Assad on his visit to Russia, including Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas.
The president landed at Vnukovo International Airport, where he was received by Michael Bogdanov, the special representative of Russian President Vladimir Putin and deputy Foreign Minister, the Russian Ambassador in Damascus Alexander Efimov and Syria’s Ambassador in Moscow, Bashar al-Jaafari.
Assad will hold talks with Putin during the visit, according to the Syrian Presidency. A Kremlin statement said the two leaders would discuss cooperation in the political, trade and humanitarian spheres “as well as prospects for an overall settlement of the situation in and around Syria”.
On the second day of his visit, Assad visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow and laid a wreath at the monument.
Russia is a main ally of Syria and maintains a large military presence in the country. Moscow has played a key role in fighting rebels and terrorist groups trying to topple Assad’s government, and has also aggressively backed Damascus against Western states at the United Nations.
Assad’s visit coincides with the 12th anniversary of the uprising in Syria which quickly escalated into a destructive war. It also came in wake of the February 6 earthquake that killed 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria. Moscow had been mediating talks between the two countries.
The Turkish-Syrian normalization process will reportedly be one of the main topics that Assad and Putin will discuss during the meeting.
Overall, Assad’s visit is meant to further advance Russian-Syrian relations on all levels. The two sides are expected to sign every agreement during the visit.
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