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Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Damascus on Tuesday to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad about their joint military operations as the country's long-running civil war continues. It was Putin's first visit to Syria since December 2017, when he met Assad and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu at the Khmeimim Air Base.
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On Tuesday, Putin arrived at the Russian Armed Forces group headquarters to meet with Assad.
"The leaders heard military reports on developments in various regions of the country," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Talking to al-Assad, Putin underlined that it can certainly be said now that much ground was covered to restore Syria's statehood and territorial integrity.
"Putin also underlined that it is clear to the naked eye that peaceful life is returning to the streets of Damascus," Peskov added.
Assad said he appreciated Russia's work alongside the Syrian Arab Army in battling the opposition forces that have fought the government since 2011.
The two leaders talked about their fight against terrorism, securing Idlib and Turkey's actions in northern Syria.
Assad took Putin on a tour of Damascus, visiting the Grand Umayyad Mosque and the shrine of St. John the Baptist, along with the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus, the oldest church in the city.
