Putin, Assad begin talks in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin has received Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Kremlin, in Moscow.

On March 15, the Kremlin's press service reported that the talks would focus on cooperation in the political, trade, economic and humanitarian spheres, as well as the prospects of resolving the situation in Syria, according to Kommersant.

Bashar al-Assad arrived in Moscow on March 14. He was met at Vnukovo airport by Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian president's special envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister, Syrian Ambassador to Moscow Bashar Jaafari, and Russian Ambassador to Syria Alexander Yefimov.