The Russian president Vladimir Putin will meet today Wednesday with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed Al Sarahwho has been making his first visit to Russia since Moscow’s ally, President Bashar al -Assad was overthrown by rebels under Sarah last year.

The Syrian delegation “will include President Ahmed al -Sarah, the Foreign Minister, as well as military and financial officials,” a government official told AFP, who asked not to be named as he has not authorized to speak in the media.

According to him, the Syrian president is scheduled to meet with Putin, and the two sides will discuss “financial issues related to investment, the Russian bases in Syria and the new Syrian army’s re -equipment”.

A foreign ministry official confirmed the visit and meeting with Putin, stating that “financial and political issues, as well as the regime of Russian military bases in Syria, are on the agenda.”

The naval base of Tartu and the Khhhimim Air Base, both on the Mediterranean coast, are Russia’s only official military outposts outside the former USSR.

Moscow used these facilities extensively during its intervention in the Syrian civil war in 2015 in support of Bashar al-Assad, conducting heavy air bombings in areas controlled by rebels.

President Al Sarah was initially scheduled to attend a Russian Arab summit that was due to take place today, but Moscow postponed it as several Arabs were mobilized to oversee the implementation of a ceasefire plan supported by the US in the strip.

Syrian new Islamist leaders are seeking to have peaceful relations with Russia despite Moscow’s previous alliance with Bashar al-Assad.

In July, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Saibani was the first senior official of the new government to visit Russia.

In January, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Bogdanov led the first Russian delegation to visit Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.