Russia and Syria to negotiate fate of Tartous naval base on Wednesday

President Vladimir Putin will hold talks in Moscow with Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa later on Wednesday, the Syrian President's first visit to Russia since coming to power, and the fate of Russia's military bases in Syria will be on the agenda, the Kremlin said.

The Kremlin said that terrorist Sharaa, who once headed the Syrian branch of al Qaeda and who toppled close Russian ally Bashar al-Assad late last year, was in Russia on a working visit.