Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday congratulated Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on his re-election, saying it confirmed his “high political authority” in the war-torn country.

“The vote results fully confirmed your high political authority and the confidence of your fellow citizens in the course taken under your leadership to stabilize the situation in Syria as soon as possible,” Putin said in a message to Assad published by the Kremlin.

For its part, Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed Al-Assad’s victory as decisive.

“We view the elections as a sovereign affair of the Syrian Arab Republic and an important step towards strengthening its internal stability,” the Russian ministry said in a statement.

Source: Agencies