MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived in Russia, a Syrian diplomatic source confirmed to TASS.

"[Ahmed al-Sharaa] has come to Moscow," the source said.

Earlier, the Kremlin press service announced that on October 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin would meet with Syria’s interim leader. Al-Sharaa is currently in Russia on his first working visit. The two presidents are expected to discuss the current state and prospects of Russian-Syrian relations in the political, trade, economic, and humanitarian spheres, as well as recent developments in the Middle East.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also noted that the talks would address the status of Russian military bases in Syria. On October 13, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Arab media that Damascus intended to maintain the Russian military presence in the country, although under new circumstances the facilities might be repurposed for different objectives.

Moscow-Damascus engagements

The first high-level contact between Moscow and Damascus following the change of power in Syria in late 2024 took place in February, when Putin and al-Sharaa discussed the situation in the country during a phone call. At that time, Putin reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to "the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Syrian state" and confirmed Moscow’s readiness to continue supporting Damascus in improving its social and economic conditions.

In late July, a delegation representing Syria’s new authorities, headed by interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, visited Russia. During the trip, al-Shaibani held talks with Lavrov and met with Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. The visit concluded with a meeting between Putin and the Syrian delegation at the Kremlin.