Syrian President Assad arrives in Moscow and will meet with Putin.
Assad will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit, accompanied by a large Syrian ministerial delegation.
(Reuters)- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for his first official visit outside the Middle East since last month's devastating earthquake, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency via the Telegram messaging app.
Assad will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit, accompanied by a large Syrian ministerial delegation, the statement said.
A statement from the Kremlin said the two leaders will discuss cooperation in the political, commercial and humanitarian spheres "as well as prospects for a comprehensive solution to the situation in and around Syria."
Russia launched a military campaign in Syria in 2015 that helped turn the tide of the civil war in favor of Assad, with intense bombing in opposition-held areas.
The Russian campaign helped Assad recover much of the territory he had lost to the rebels who were trying to overthrow him.
Since then, Moscow has expanded its military installations in the country with a permanent air base in Hmeymim, in the Syrian province of Latakia.
The Russian naval base in the Mediterranean coastal city of Tartous is the Russian navy's only permanent warm-water port outside the former Soviet Union.