00:01Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Shara met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in an unprecedented official visit on Wednesday.
00:09The visit comes less than a year after al-Shara led a swift rebellion which dethroned Kremlin ally and longtime president Bashar al-Assad in December.
00:19He was greeted with full military honors upon his arrival, as the Kremlin looked to establish working ties with the country's new leadership.
00:27Putin said, however, that Russia's policy towards Syria remains constant, claiming that it's rooted in the same driving principle as it always was.
00:57Speaking to reporters, al-Shara noted that his country shares a deep and historic link with Moscow.
01:09The Syrian leader said much of the infrastructure was built by and is maintained by Russians.
01:14Former President al-Assad currently resides in Russia, his home since fleeing Syria when rebel forces entered the capital Damascus.
01:24Al-Shara is expected to seek al-Assad's extradition to face a trial back home for war crimes committed in Syria's 14-year civil war.
01:33In an interview with U.S. media earlier this week, he said that his government will use all available legal means to hold the ousted president to account.
01:42The Kremlin has so far avoided the topic.
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