Assad in Moscow to meet Putin as Syria's civil war enters 13th year

Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected to hold talks with Syria's leader Bashar al-Assad in Moscow on Wednesday, as Syria's civil conflict entered its 13th year and relations between Middle East states are undergoing a realignment.

"Topical issues of further development of Russian-Syrian cooperation in the political, trade, economic and humanitarian spheres, as well as prospects for a comprehensive settlement of the situation in and around Syria will be discussed," the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Assad's office said in a statement that the Syrian president was accompanied by a "large ministerial delegation".