Bashar al-Assad has met with Vladimir Putin and thanked him for the saving Syria. This week, the Russian president prepares to host the summit on Wednesday when Iran and Turkey will participate in the talks about the lasting political settlement of the Syrian armed conflict.
The presidents of Russia and Syria met in Sochi on Monday, the Syrian leader personally thanked the Russian counterpart and the Russian military for helping to save his country. A secret visit to Sochi was the second Assad’s trip since 2011, he prefers not to leave the war-torn country.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin is going to host the leaders of Iran and Turkey for peace talks about ending the Syrian armed conflict. Monday’s trip and a personal meeting with Mr Putin means a lot to Assad, during three hours the leaders discussed a potential political settlement for Syria’s future.
“In the name of the Syrian people, I greet you and thank you all, every Russian officer, fighter and pilot that took part in this war,”
said president Assad.
Russia’s role in the Syrian war
With ISIS almost entirely routed and with other Syrian rebel groups weakened and in disarray, Mr Assad and Mr Putin now feel confident enough to look beyond the combat stage and towards a future political agreement. Commenting the meeting with the Syrian president, said:
“The main subject on the agenda is a peaceful and lasting political settlement in Syria after the routing of the terrorists.”
Mr Assad thanked Russian president and Russian people for their continuing support during the worst six years of the war, he said:
“We do not want to look back. We will accept and talk with anyone who is really interested in a political settlement.”
The upcoming summit on Wednesday between Mr Putin, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan will show the way of the settlement of Syrian conflict. Iran and Russia have both supported the Assad regime throughout the war while Turkey has backed the opposition.
