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Russian Defence Chief holds talks with Assad in Syria on Putin’s instructions

Shoigu and Assad touched upon Russia’s humanitarian assistance to the Syrian population, which is suffering from Western sanctions, and also upon Russian specialists’ involvement in the restoration of the Syrian economy.

MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has made a working trip to Syria on instructions from President Vladimir Putin for talks with Syria’s President Bashar Assad, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

"The negotiations concerned ways of maintaining stable cessation of hostilities in the Idlib zone of de-escalation, stabilization in other regions of Syria and different aspects of military-technical cooperation within the framework of joint struggle against international terrorist groups," the Defense Ministry said.

Shoigu and Assad touched upon Russia’s humanitarian assistance to the Syrian population, which is suffering from Western sanctions, and also upon Russian specialists’ involvement in the restoration of the Syrian economy.

Russian Aerospace Force fighters Sukhoi-35S provided protection for the Russian defense minister’s plane in Syria’s airspace.

Last time Shoigu visited Damascus on March 19, 2019. The Defense Ministry then said he had brought to Assad a message from Putin. The content of the message was not disclosed.

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