Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Shaara, the Kremlin announced on Wednesday.
According to the Kremlin's statement, Putin wished al-Shaara "every success in addressing various objectives facing the country's new leadership for the benefit of the Syrian nation with which Russia has been traditionally linked by relations of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation." He also voiced Moscow's support for Syria's "unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity," and its "invariable readiness to help improve the socio-economic situation" in the Middle Eastern country.
The statement did not address if the two leaders discussed the fate of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is currently in political asylum in Russia.
