Putin hails progress in ties with Syria as Al Sharaa visits Moscow

Moscow [Russia], January 29: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday praised the progress made in his country's relations with Syria as he welcomed Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa to Moscow.
"The time since our previous meeting has not been wasted," Putin said, adding that significant steps had been taken to restore intergovernmental and economic relations between the two countries.
Al Sharaa was last in Moscow in October. Russia was long considered the protective power of Syria's former ruler Bashar Al Assad, who was toppled in 2024 by an offensive led by Al Sharaa's Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS).
Al Assad fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum. Al Sharaa was appointed as Syria's transitional president.
Putin praised Al Sharaa, who he said has made a major contribution to normalizing ties with Russia. He mentioned joint projects in the fields of industry, sport and medicine, without providing further details. Relations between Moscow and Damascus are complicated.
Moscow provided Al Assad with military support for many years to help him remain in power, and granted him asylum after his fall.
The new government in Damascus is demanding the extradition of Al Assad, whom it accuses of war crimes. Syria plays an important logistical role for Russia, especially regarding its activities in Africa.
Source: Qatar Tribune