Syria's foreign and defence ministers met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss expanding military, political and economic cooperation, with a focus on strategic collaboration in defence industries, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.
Moscow, Russia © Mena Today
Syria's foreign and defence ministers met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss expanding military, political and economic cooperation, with a focus on strategic collaboration in defence industries, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.
In October, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa paid an official visit to Russia, where he said his government would honour all past deals struck between Damascus and Moscow, a pledge that suggested Russia's two main military bases in Syria were secure. Putin said at the time that Moscow was ready to do all it could to act on what he called "many interesting and useful beginnings" discussed by the two sides on renewing relations.
Russia used its military power for years to back Sharaa's predecessor, Bashar al-Assad, against Syrian rebels. Assad was toppled when rebels led by Sharaa took power in December last year, and Moscow later granted him and his family asylum.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani and Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra discussed ways to develop military cooperation to strengthen the Syrian army's defensive capabilities, including by modernising equipment and transferring expertise, SANA said.
Their talks also covered the need for closer political coordination and stronger economic and investment ties, including cooperation on reconstruction and infrastructure projects in Syria.
Earlier, Russia's state news agency cited Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would hold talks with his Syrian counterpart, al-Shibani.
Reporting by Jaidaa Taha and Muhammad Al Gebaly in Cairo
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on his first visit to Syria, called Saturday on the international community to help the country as it moves through a transition following years of civil war and the establishment of new authorities.
Pakistan is exploring a path towards a resumption of stalled U.S.-Iran talks over ending their nearly five-month-old war, three Pakistani sources said, following a push initiated by China.
Residents began entering the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Friday, some inspecting damaged homes and searching for belongings after Israeli troops withdrew and the Lebanese army deployed under a U.S.-brokered agreement.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.