Putin Meets al-Sharaa in Moscow on Syria Reconstruction

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss Syria's reconstruction, bilateral cooperation and Russia's ongoing role in the country. The meeting marked al-Sharaa's second visit to the Russian capital in less than four months, following his first trip in October.

The two leaders reviewed the state of diplomatic ties, which Putin described as historically friendly. He thanked al-Sharaa for efforts to strengthen them and highlighted a 4 percent increase in trade volume since their previous encounter. "While this is perhaps not as ambitious as we might have wished, it is a positive step nonetheless, and it is a trend we should keep going," Putin said. "We continue to work actively to develop our partnership across all areas." The discussions covered potential collaboration in healthcare, construction, industry and sports, with Putin noting that Russian companies are prepared to partner with Syrian firms on rebuilding efforts.

Al-Sharaa expressed gratitude for Russia's contributions to stabilizing Syria and the broader Middle East, emphasizing Moscow's significant regional influence. "Moscow and Damascus had many issues...