On February 12, according to information released by the Kremlin, Russian President Putin had a phone call with the transitional president of Syria, Ahmad Shaalan. Putin emphasized that Russia supports Syria's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and considers it very important for Syria to implement a series of measures to achieve national normalization smoothly, as well as to strengthen internal dialogue within Syria with the participation of major political forces and groups. Putin stated that Russia is willing to assist and improve Syria's social and economic conditions, including providing humanitarian aid to local residents. In addition, the two sides also discussed cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, and Education.