President Vladimir Putin will hold talks in Moscow with Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa later on Wednesday, the Syrian president’s first visit to Russia since coming to power, and the fate of Russia’s military bases in Syria will be on the agenda, the Kremlin said.

The Kremlin said that Sharaa, who once headed the Syrian branch of al Qaeda and who toppled close Russian ally Bashar al-Assad late last year, was in Russia on a working visit.

The fate of Russia’s two main bases in Syria – the Hmeimim airbase in Syria’s Latakia province, and its naval facility at Tartous on the coast – will be discussed, the Kremlin said.

Russia, which has economic and energy-related interests in Syria that it also wants to secure, has a military presence at Qamishli airport too.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lav

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