Vladimir Putin receives Bashar al-Assad in Moscow and criticizes foreign interference in Syria
Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad during his visit to Moscow on September 14, 2021. AP - Mikhail Klimentyev
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The Russian president criticized the presence of foreign forces in Syria without the agreement of the Damascus regime.
A statement while receiving his ally Bashar al-Assad in Moscow on Monday, September 13.
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During this rare one-on-one meeting between Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad, the Russian president estimated that “
terrorists have suffered considerable damage
” in Syria, where government forces control “
90% of the territory”.
".
Vladimir Poutine, however, estimated, according to a statement from the Kremlin published on Tuesday, September 14, that
Syria's
“
main problem
” is foreign interference on its soil.
"
Foreign armed forces, without a UN decision, without your agreement, are present in certain areas of the country, which is manifestly contrary to international law
", denounced the strong man of the Kremlin.
The Russian president did not specify which foreign forces are in question.
But Turkey and its Syrian allies notably control areas in northern Syria, while the US-led military coalition is based in the northeast in support of Kurdish forces.
Russia, for its part, has been deployed militarily in Syria since 2015 in support of Bashar al-Assad's forces and considers its involvement justified because following a request from the “
legitimate
”
authorities
in Damascus.
The entry of Russian forces into the Syrian conflict is widely seen as the turning point that allowed Bashar's regime to hold its own.
►
To read also: After ten years of war in Syria, Bashar al-Assad reigns over ruins
"
Political processes
" at a standstill
The Syrian president for his part hailed the "
significant results obtained by Russia and Syria in the liberation of the territories occupied by the combatants and in the destruction of terrorism
", according to the transcription in Russian of his remarks by the Kremlin.
He admitted, however, that the "
political processes
" undertaken to end the war in Syria "
have come to a halt
", blaming the paralysis of the various negotiations on "
the destructive influence
" of "
certain states
".
According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, the meeting between Vladimir Putin and
Bashar al-Assad
focused on economic cooperation, the fight against terrorism and "
the completion of the liberation of lands still
" under the control of rebels and jihadists.
(
With
AFP)
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Bashar al-Assad
Vladimir Poutine
Russia
Syria