NOVO-OGARYOVO, December 4. /TASS/. Nearly all of Syria’s territory, including areas where Christians always lived, has been liberated from terrorists, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with heads of local Orthodox churches.
"The situation in the country [Syria] is gradually changing, Syrian troops supported by the Russian military have liberated nearly all of the country’s territory, including areas where Christians have always lived," he said.
Russia will help restore the shrines of Islam and Judaism that suffered damage during the struggle with terrorists in Syria, Putin also noted.
"We'll give assistance to Christians and to representatives of other faiths, including Moslems who, as all of us know perfectly well, also suffered seriously at the hands of criminals, terrolrists and radicals," Putin said at a meeting with heads of delegations of local [national] Eastern Orthodox Churches.
"We'll render assistance to disciples of Judaism, too, and some Jewish organizations have already asked us to help restore Jewish shrines [in Syria]," he said.
Putin added Russia had established contacts with Syria’s Jewish community and the Jewish organizations, including the ones based in New York.
"We’ll work together over this problem, too," he promised.