The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has conveyed this Wednesday to the Syrian head of state, Ahmed al Shara, Moscow's willingness to "deepen cooperation" in various areas, while reiterating his support for the "territorial integrity" and "sovereignty" of the Arab country.
In a brief official note, the Kremlin has indicated that both leaders "have discussed the current state and expectations for further development of Russian-Syrian relations," before specifying that "a commitment has been expressed to deepen political dialogue and cooperation at the level of trade, economy, humanitarian affairs, and other areas."
The statement also emphasizes that Putin "has reaffirmed the principled position in support of the unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty" of Syria, as well as "the creation of conditions for long-term normalization and reconstruction after the conflict," in which Moscow supported the now former president Bashar al Assad, currently in exile in Russia.
The Russian Presidency has also highlighted that "both parties" have underscored the "importance" of the memorandum of understanding signed on August 9 regarding the "reorganization" of the bases in Jmeimim and Tartus — where Russia maintains a military presence — and added that the two leaders have agreed to "continue contacts at various levels."
This memorandum was concluded after discussions with the authorities established in Syria following the flight of Al Shara, who took refuge in Russia amid the advance of jihadists and rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), the extremist group that at that time was headed by Al Shara himself, now president of the country.
Since that political shift, the new Syrian government has been achieving various gestures of international recognition, including the lifting of sanctions against Damascus and even Syria's removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a decision announced by Washington on Monday that evidences the good rapport between Al Shara and the President of the United States, Donald Trump.