Russian President Vladimir Putin opened his meeting with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa with a firm handshake, as al-Sharaa arrived in Moscow for an official working visit.
The Russian delegation includes several senior officials, among them Presidential aide Yury Ushakov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Chief of the Main Directorate of the Russian General Staff Igor Kostyukov, along with other top government and security figures.
Following the formal meeting, Putin and al-Sharaa are scheduled to continue negotiations over a working breakfast.
According to official sources, the agenda focuses on bilateral relations between Russia and Syria, as well as the broader situation in the Middle East, including regional security and political developments.
The last meeting between the two leaders took place at the Kremlin just over three months ago, marking al-Sharaa’s first visit to Moscow since taking power in Damascus. That meeting reportedly lasted around two and a half hours.
The current visit comes on the eve of the anniversary of al-Sharaa’s appointment as interim president, which took place on 29 January.
