Putin Congratulates New Syrian President on ElectionRussian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday congratulated new Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on his election, calling for a further development of bilateral ties. Bashar Assad, son of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, was elected the head of this Arab republic in a nationwide referendum.Moscow welcomes Bashar's election and hopes that the multi- faceted and mutually advantageous cooperation between the two countries will be further developed, Putin said. "The Russian side is firmly disposed toward constructive interaction with the new Syrian leader on different issues, including the Middle East peace progress." "Russia, as a co-sponsor of the Mideast peace process, will further take efforts aimed at finding a just and lasting peace in the region on the basis of the well-known U.N. resolutions and principles of the Madrid conference, including the 'land for peace' formula," Putin said. |
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