MOSCOW, Feb 15 - RIA Novosti. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation, held a meeting in Syria with the head of the country Bashar al-Assad, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters on Tuesday.
"On behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu made a working trip to Damascus, where he was received by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad," the ministry said.
Shoigu informed Assad about the exercises of the Russian Navy held in the eastern Mediterranean.
Also during the meeting, "various issues of military-technical cooperation of the countries in the framework of the joint fight against the remnants of international terrorists, as well as certain aspects of Russia's humanitarian assistance to the Syrian population suffering from the prohibitive sanctions of the United States and Western countries were discussed," the Defense Ministry said.