Egypt Daily News – The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed with his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, a wide range of issues related to the Middle East, including the possibility of holding a meeting between al-Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Putin met with Assad in the Kremlin, according to what was reported by Russian media, where the meeting lasted approximately 3 hours.
The television reported that Putin discussed with Assad the “escalation” in the Middle East against the backdrop of the war between the Israeli army and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and bilateral economic relations.
Russia has been a key ally of Syria since its military intervention in the conflict in that country in support of Assad in 2015, and it is also likely to play a mediation role to ease tensions between Syria and Turkey. The Russian President noted that the situation in the Middle East, including Syria, is deteriorating.
Putin welcomed Assad, saying: “I am very happy to see you.” The Russian President added: “We have the opportunity to talk about our bilateral relationship, as we have not seen each other for a long time.”
Putin said during his meeting with the Syrian President: “I am very interested in your opinion about developments in the situation in the region.”
The Russian President added, “Unfortunately, (the situation in the Middle East) tends to worsen, and this also applies directly to Syria,” according to what Russian media reported.
