Russia’s Putin hails Syria’s Assad for combating terrorists

Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian chief Bashar al-Assad to talk about the need to move from navy operations to the look for a political technique to Syria’s conflict, the Kremlin stated on Tuesday.

Putin congratulated Assad on Baghdad’s consequences in “fighting terrorist agencies,” the Kremlin said.

“For a start I want to congratulate you with the results that Syria is achieving within the combat in opposition to terrorist organizations… the Syrian state is going thru a totally critical experience and nonetheless is coming near the final, inevitable defeat of the terrorists,” Putin instructed Assad, the Kremlin website pronounced.

Russia is actively seeking to construct an worldwide consensus round a peace deal for Syria, over two years after Moscow commenced a navy intervention that turned the tide of the war in Assad’s favour.

On Wednesday, Putin is to meet the leaders of Iran and Turkey, two other powers with major stakes in the Syrian struggle. He stated he might follow up his talks with Assad with telephone calls to US President Donald Trump and to center eastern leaders.

“We nevertheless have a long way to head before we acquire a whole victory over terrorists. however as a ways as our joint paintings in combating terrorism on the territory of Syria is worried, this navy operation is indeed wrapping up,” Putin advised Assad, in feedback broadcast by using Russian television.

“Now the maximum vital issue, of course, is to move directly to the political questions, and i note with satisfaction your readiness to paintings with all folks that want peace and a solution (to the battle),” Putin stated.

The assembly, in step with the Kremlin, happened on Monday nighttime inside the Russian Black Sea hotel of Sochi, wherein Putin has a residence. however, the Kremlin did no longer release statistics approximately Assad’s go to until Tuesday.

“I would really like very a great deal to speak about with you the main ideas for setting up the political procedure, and the holding of a congress of the peoples of Syria, this is supported with the aid of you,” Putin told Assad.

“I would like to pay attention from you your evaluation of the state of affairs these days, and the potentialities for the developments of the situation, together with your view of the political procedure, which, in our view, need to in the long run be carried out under the aegis of the United countries.”

Putin and Assad remaining met on Oct. 20, 2015, in Moscow, some weeks after Moscow launched its army operation in Syria, which has overwhelmed lower back anti-Assad rebels and propped up struggling authorities forces.

For Monday’s assembly in Sochi, Assad stayed on Russian soil for a total of 4 hours, RIA news company quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as pronouncing.

Assad, wearing a dark suit and sitting across a small espresso desk from Putin, informed the Russian chief: “At this level, specially after we executed victory over terrorists, it’s miles in our pursuits to move ahead with the political system.

“And we agree with that the state of affairs we now have on the ground and in the political experience allows us to expect development within the political process. We anticipate the aid of Russia to make certain the non-interference of outside players in the political technique,” stated Assad, talking via an interpreter.

Underscoring the importance of the Russian military in propping up Assad’s rule, Putin supplied the Syrian chief to a meeting of his top army command, who were additionally assembled at his Sochi residence.

“On behalf of the whole Syrian humans, I express my gratitude for what you have completed,” Assad advised the roomful of Russian navy officers. “we are able to now not forget it.”

Assad’s warring parties, and Western governments, have accused Russia of killing widespread numbers of Syrian civilians with its air strikes, allegations Moscow denies.