Syrian President Al-Sharaa Expresses Readiness to Restore ‘Historic and Strategic’ Ties with Russia

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in Russia on Wednesday for his first official visit since taking office in December 2024. During his visit, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss regional and international developments of mutual interest, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

At a joint press conference following their meeting, al-Sharaa affirmed Damascus’s readiness to restore its “historic and strategic” relations with Russia. “We respect all the past agreements and the great history with Russia, and we try to restore the nature of these relations,” he said.

The Syrian president highlighted the depth of ties between the two nations, noting that “a large part of Syria’s energy sector depends on Russian expertise,” and emphasized his government’s commitment to further developing these longstanding relations.