Syria's Assad met Putin in Moscow to discuss military campaign: Kremlin

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew into Moscow on Tuesday for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which the two men discussed their joint military campaign against Islamist militants in Syria, a Kremlin spokesman said.

"The president of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar Assad came on a working visit to Moscow yesterday evening and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin," the spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.

During the meeting, Assad expressed 'emormous' gratitude to Putin for Russia's help. He also said that the whole Syrian people want to participate in deciding the future of the state and not just the ruling elite.