Syrian president Assad meets Putin in Moscow in surprise visit

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  Mr Putin and Mr Al Assad enter a hall during a meeting at the Kremlin as the Syrian leader made a surprise visit to Moscow to thank Mr Putin for Russia’s military support in Syria. Alexei Druzhinin / RIA Novosti Kremlin/Reuters

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  Mr Al Assad, second left, meeting Mr Putin, third right and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Alexei Druzhinin / RIA Novosti Kremlin / Reuters

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  Mr Al Assad, centre, shaking hands with Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, second right. Russian president Vladimir Putin, prime minister Dmitry Medvedev and foreign intelligence chief Mikhail Fradkov are also present at the meeting. Alexei Druzhinin / RIA Novosti Kremlin / Reuters

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  Mr Al Assad praised Russia’s anti-terror efforts since the beginning of Syria’s war. Alexei Druzhinin / RIA Novosti Kremlin / Reuters

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  This is Mr Al Assad’s first known trip abroad since Syria’s conflict began in March 2011. Alexei Druzhinin / RIA Novosti Kremlin / Reuters

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  Mr Al Assad speaking with Mr Putin a. Alexei Druzhinin / RIA Novosti Kremlin/Reuters

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  Russia began an air campaign against insurgents in Syria on September 30, saying it was fighting terrorism. Alexei Druzhinin / RIA Novosti Kremlin / Reuters

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  Long-term settlement of the Syrian crisis requires “a political process with the participation of all political forces, ethnic and religious groups,” Mr Putin told Mr Al Assad in comments shown on Russian state television on Wednesday. Alexei Druzhinin / RIA Novosti Kremlin / Reuters

DAMASCUS // In his first known trip overseas since the Syrian war broke out in 2011, president Bashar Al Assad travelled to Moscow on Tuesday to meet his strongest ally Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Long-term settlement of the Syrian crisis requires “a political process with the participation of all political forces, ethnic and religious groups,” Mr Putin told Mr Al Assad in comments shown on Russian state television on Wednesday. “The final word, of course, must rest solely with the Syrian people.”

Mr Al Assad met Mr Putin on Tuesday to discuss the continuation of the military operations against terrorism in Syria, according to the Syrian presidency’s official Facebook page. The aim of the military operation is to eradicate terrorism that is obstructing a political solution, the statement said.

The post included a photo of Mr Al Assad with a wide smile shaking hands with Putin. Russian television also showed footage of Mr Putin and Russia’s foreign and defence ministers meeting with Mr Al Assad and his adviser.

Mr Putin thanked his Syrian counterpart for “accepting our invitation and coming to Moscow despite a tragic situation in your country”, while Mr Al Assad praised Russia’s antiterror efforts since the beginning of his country’s war.

Russia is standing for “the unity of Syria and its independence” and without its military intervention, terrorists would have taken control of even more territory, Mr Al Assad said.

“Terrorism which we see spreading today could have been more widespread and more harmful if it weren’t for your decisions and steps, not only in our region,” said the Syrian leader.

This is Mr Al Assad’s first known trip abroad since Syria’s conflict began in March 2011, said Sami Nader, head of the Beirut-based Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs.

As the government reacted with a violent crackdown to largely peaceful protests against Assad’s rule, the protests grew into an armed insurgency and a civil war that has killed a quarter of a million people in the past five years.

Russia began an air campaign against insurgents in Syria on September 30, saying it was fighting terrorism. Critics and the US say the Moscow military intervention helps props up Mr Al Assad and is likely to fan the violence.

“Terrorism is an obstacle to a political solution,” the Syrian president said. Syria’s Ikhbariyah news channel quoted Mr Al Assad as saying that the Russian air strikes have helped stop the expansion of the “terrorist” organisations in Syria. Any military action must be followed by political steps, he reportedly said.

Mr Putin added that along with fighting militants, Moscow believes that “a long-term settlement can only be achieved as part of a political process with the participation of all political forces, ethnic and religious groups”.

“The Syrian people have been putting up a fight against international terrorism effectively on its own for several years, sustaining sizeable losses but it has achieved positive results recently,” Mr Putin said.