PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. Jan 11 (Interfax) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was aware about Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to Syria in January 2020, but there was an agreement not to disclose the details of it, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"It wasn't unexpected for him. I could not show up in Damascus without his invitation. It's absolutely out of question," Putin said in a documentary on his visit to Damascus on Christmas in 2020 broadcast on the Rossiya-1 television channel.
"There was an invitation, but we agreed that information about my visit, about the specific time and sites of our work, places to visit would not be publicized until I appear there," he said.
According to Putin, this was due to the need to ensure security.
"Of course, President Assad himself was aware. He and I did very productive, meaningful and useful work together during our personal meeting," he said.