Putin congratulated Assad on the results in the fight against terrorism at a meeting on November 20 in Sochi, where the Syrian president became acquainted with the heads of the Russian military.

The Russian leader discussed the political settlement in Syria with Bashar Assad, saying that he believes it should be under the aegis of the UN, adding that he hopes the international body will take an active part in the process and its final stage.



Assad said that Damascus is interested in the progress of the political solution to the crisis and that the current situation is optimistic in that respect.

He added that he hoped for Russia’s help in ensuring that the Syrians themselves lead the process, with help from the outside, but not “interference.”

“We welcome those who are really interested in a political settlement [in Syria], we are ready to have dialogue with them,” Assad said.

Since the start of the Russian operation in Syria in 2015, many areas in the country have been liberated from terrorists, Assad stated. Syrians who had to leave these areas due to the terrorist threat have been able to return home.

Vladimir Putin said that the talks held repeatedly in the Kazakh capital, Astana contributed greatly to the settlement of the conflict.

“Due to the Astana talks, we managed to create de-escalation zones, and this, in turn, allowed us to start a real dialogue with the opposition for the first time.”

According to the Russian president, “the problem of terrorism is a global one.” He added that “complete victory over terrorism is still very far away. But as far as our joint fight against terrorists in Syria is concerned, this military operation is really coming to an end.”

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