Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday, said that Russian-Syrian relations have remained strong for more than 80 years.

This marks al-Sharaa’s first visit to Moscow since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, who later defected to Russia. Putin stated, “The cooperation between Russia and Syria will yield good results,” adding that “the joint commission between the two countries will resume its work, and we are ready to implement several projects.”

He also described the parliamentary elections in Syria as “a great success,” noting that this achievement will help strengthen ties among all political forces in the country. Addressing Sharaa, Putin said, “I believe this is a great success for you, as it leads to the consolidation of society.”

For his part, President al-Sharaa said, “We will seek to reset our relationship and to introduce you, among other things, to the new Syria. The most important thing now, of course, is stability — both within the country and across the region.” He added, “Russia and Syria are linked by significant bridges of cooperation, including tangible and material ones.” (Agencies)