ISTANBUL

The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will host Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in his first visit to Russia.

"The leaders intend to discuss the current state and future prospects of Russia-Syria ties in politics, trade and economy, and cultural and humanitarian affairs, as well as the recent developments in the Middle East," the Kremlin said in a statement.​​​​​​​

Earlier, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) confirmed the visit and said Sharaa’s visit aims at reorganizing bilateral relations and strengthening political and economic cooperation.

During the visit, Sharaa will also meet with members of the Syrian community in Russia.

On Monday, during a meeting with journalists from Arab countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Syria would like to maintain Russian military bases in the country, but may repurpose them for different tasks amid new realities, according to Russia's state news agency Tass.

In February, Putin spoke with Sharaa over the phone, reaffirming Russia’s support for Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and stability, and expressing readiness to review agreements signed with the former Assad regime while calling for the lifting of economic sanctions on Syria.

The visit comes more than a month after Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak visited Damascus on Sept. 9, where he discussed issues, including energy cooperation and humanitarian assistance, with senior Syrian officials.

Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in late 2024, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long grip on power that began in 1963. A new transitional administration led by Sharaa was formed in January.