ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday held a phone call with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, where he emphasized Moscow’s “principled position” in supporting Syria’s territorial integrity.

The two leaders exchanged views on the current situation in Syria, stressing the need for implementing a set of measures aimed at “sustainable normalization” in the country, and intensifying dialogue “with the participation of leading political forces and ethno-confessional groups of the population,” according to a statement from the Kremlin.

Putin wished Sharaa success in “resolving the challenges facing the country's new leadership for the benefit of the Syrian people” and stressed Russia’s “principled position in support of the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Syrian state.”

The Russian president reaffirmed Moscow’s “unchanged readiness” to help with improving the socioeconomic situation in Syria, including delivering humanitarian aid to the Syrian people.

For his part, Sharaa highlighted “the solid strategic relations" between Syria and Russia, stressing the new administration’s openness toward all parties “in a manner that supports the interests of the Syrian people and enhances stability and security in Syria,” according to a statement from his office.

The statement added that Putin extended a formal invitation for Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani to visit Moscow.

Russia was one of the main backers of Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war. The fall of Assad has been deemed a major setback for Moscow in the Middle East.

Anti-government groups, spearheaded by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), took over the Syrian capital city of Damascus on December 8, after an 11-day blitz offensive, ending Assad’s 24-year reign.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced a day later that Putin had personally granted asylum to Assad and his family. Russian state media reported that the asylum was granted on “humanitarian” grounds.

Syria’s new authorities received the first official Russian delegation in late January, headed by Mikhail Bogdanov, Putin’s special envoy on the Middle East. The new Damascus administration stressed that restoring relations between the two sides “must address past mistakes.”