Russian defense minister meets al-Assad in Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) meets with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoygu in Damascus, capital of Syria, March 19, 2019. During the meeting, both sides agreed to continue joint work to find suitable solutions to the issues of Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria, and the Eastern Euphrates River region in eastern Syria, which is largely controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). (Xinhua/Syrian Presidency)