The Kremlin reported this morning, Tuesday, that Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, who arrived in the Russian capital on an unannounced visit last night. During the meeting, Putin pointed out that the Syrian president is doing a lot to establish dialogue with political opponents. Putin also congratulated Assad on the good results of the presidential elections, stating that these results "confirm that the Syrians trust you, and despite all the difficulties and tragedies witnessed over the past years, they rely on you for the process of returning to normal life."
Putin said, "Through our joint efforts, we dealt a blow to the terrorists, as the Syrian army controls more than 90% of the country's territory," adding that "unfortunately, there are still pockets of resistance among the terrorists who not only control parts of the territory but also continue to terrorize civilians." He continued, "Nevertheless, displaced persons are actively returning to the liberated areas. I saw with my own eyes when I was in your hospitality (in Syria) how diligently they are working to restore their homes, doing their utmost to return to normal life in every sense of the word."
Putin stated, "The main problem, in my opinion, lies in the fact that foreign forces are present in certain areas of the country without a United Nations resolution and without your permission, which clearly contradicts international law and prevents you from making the utmost efforts to strengthen the unity of the country and to move forward on the path of reconstruction at a pace that could have been achieved if the entire territory of the country were under the control of the legitimate government."
Putin noted that trade between Russia and Syria has increased by 3.5 times in the first half of this year, and the first batches of "Sputnik V" and "Sputnik Light" vaccines have been delivered to Syria. For his part, Assad described the sanctions imposed on Syria as inhumane and illegitimate, noting that the Syrian and Russian armies have achieved significant successes in combating terrorism. He also expressed gratitude to Russia for its assistance to his country in fighting the spread of the coronavirus and providing other aid, including food supplies.
