Bashar Assad thanks Putin for support

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad thanked President Vladimir Putin for his position on the Syrian issue.

This was stated by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. "Assad asked me to express his gratitude to Putin for his stance on Syria before and after the G20 summit," said the Syrian minister.

Earlier, Putin promised to help Syria should a military blow be struck on the country. Putin stressed that Russia was already helping the regime of Bashar al-Assad through arms supplies and economic cooperation.