Putin and Assad Meet in Moscow: Turkey-Syria Rapprochement on the Agenda

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Kremlin last night. The meeting took place during a period when the normalization of Turkey-Syria relations has resurfaced as a topic of discussion. The two leaders addressed global and regional developments as well as the commercial and economic relations between Russia and Syria.

In the public portion of the meeting, Putin expressed his pleasure at seeing Assad, stating, "Mr. President, I am very pleased to see you. We have the opportunity to discuss all aspects of our relations. It has been a long time since we last saw each other." Putin expressed his interest in Assad's views on the overall situation in the region, noting, "Unfortunately, we are seeing a trend of worsening conditions. This is directly applicable to Syria as well."

Putin also mentioned that there are many topics to be addressed regarding the commercial and economic ties between Russia and Syria, and he hopes to discuss promising areas with Assad.

Possible Expectations and Scenarios Discussed
President Assad, in turn, emphasized the importance of their discussion in light of current geopolitical developments, stating, "Given the events occurring globally and in the Eurasian region, today’s meeting seems very important for discussing all details related to these developments and addressing possible expectations and scenarios."