This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/21/bashar-al-assad-thanks-russia-vladimir-putin-syria-airstrikes

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Bashar al-Assad travels to Russia to thank Putin for Syria airstrikes Bashar al-Assad travels to Russia to thank Putin for Syria airstrikes
(35 minutes later)
The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has arrived in Moscow in his first foreign visit since an uprising against his authoritarian rule broke out in 2011.The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has arrived in Moscow in his first foreign visit since an uprising against his authoritarian rule broke out in 2011.
The Kremlin made the details of the visit on Tuesday evening public on Wednesday but did not say whether the Syrian leader was still in Moscow or had returned home.The Kremlin made the details of the visit on Tuesday evening public on Wednesday but did not say whether the Syrian leader was still in Moscow or had returned home.
Moscow launched a military intervention three weeks ago in Syria, commencing airstrikes against opposition groups that were inching closer to Assad’s strongholds in the west. Russia launched a military intervention three weeks ago in Syria, commencing airstrikes against opposition groups that were inching closer to Assad’s strongholds in the west.
The country has endured a debilitating civil war now in its fifth year that has claimed more than 250,000 lives.The country has endured a debilitating civil war now in its fifth year that has claimed more than 250,000 lives.
According to a Kremlin transcript, he told the Russian president: “First of all I wanted to express my huge gratitude to the whole leadership of the Russian Federation for the help they are giving Syria. Related: Tens of thousands flee Aleppo following latest wave of airstrikes in Syria
According to a Kremlin transcript, Assad told the Russian president: “First of all I wanted to express my huge gratitude to the whole leadership of the Russian Federation for the help they are giving Syria.
“If it was not for your actions and your decisions, the terrorism which is spreading in the region would have swallowed up a much greater area and spread over an even greater area.”“If it was not for your actions and your decisions, the terrorism which is spreading in the region would have swallowed up a much greater area and spread over an even greater area.”
Putin hailed the Syrian people for standing up to the militants “almost on their own” and said the Syrian army had notched up major battlefield victories of late.Putin hailed the Syrian people for standing up to the militants “almost on their own” and said the Syrian army had notched up major battlefield victories of late.
Assad’s first official state visit since the revolution began hints at growing confidence in his camp that the Russian intervention may reverse or at least stall a series of military setbacks and defeats over the past nine months, with rebels seizing significant territory in the provinces of Idlib and Hama and beating back regime offensives in Aleppo and Daraa.Assad’s first official state visit since the revolution began hints at growing confidence in his camp that the Russian intervention may reverse or at least stall a series of military setbacks and defeats over the past nine months, with rebels seizing significant territory in the provinces of Idlib and Hama and beating back regime offensives in Aleppo and Daraa.
Islamic State seized key territory in Homs this summer, including the historic city of Palmyra. The Russian intervention has primarily targeted rebel groups, including those backed by regional and western states, with a minority of airstrikes hitting Isis. The regime has opened several different fronts against the rebels backed by Russian airstrikes, hoping to take back territory in Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Latakia. Syrian state TV said the two presidents discussed the continuing military operations in Syria against “terrorist” groups, a catch-all term that the regime and Moscow use to refer to the rebels fighting to overthrow Assad, as well as plans for upcoming ground campaigns.Putin was quoted as saying he would assist on the military and political fronts in Syria and would contact other foreign powers in an effort to reach a settlement to the crisis. Islamic State seized key territory in Homs this summer, including the historic city of Palmyra.
Russian intervention has primarily targeted rebel groups, including those backed by regional and western states, with a minority of airstrikes hitting Isis. The regime has opened several fronts against the rebels, backed by Russian airstrikes, hoping to take back territory in Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Latakia.
Syrian state TV said the two presidents discussed the continuing military operations in Syria against “terrorist” groups, a catch-all term that the regime and Moscow use to refer to the rebels fighting to overthrow Assad, as well as plans for ground campaigns.
Putin was quoted as saying he would assist on the military and political fronts in Syria and would contact other foreign powers in an effort to reach a settlement to the crisis.