
Syria's top diplomat said Damascus wants Moscow "by our side" on the first visit to Russia by a member of the new government since former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a rebel offensive late last year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in the Kremlin on Thursday, according to Syrian news agency SANA, a meeting that underlined the Kremlin's desire to establish working ties with the country's new leadership.