MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, hailing the two countries’ cooperation on the crisis in Syria and other international issues.

Greeting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the start of their talks at the Kremlin, Putin noted that shared efforts by Moscow and Tehran have played a key role in helping the Syrian government overcome the threats posed by international terrorism.”

Russia and Iran have joined forces to shore up Syrian President Bashar Assad, helping his government reclaim most of the country’s territory after a devastating civil war.