Russian president stresses Moscow's support for Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed Thursday his country's support for Syria in a phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart, the state-run SANA news agency reported. Putin reiterated to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Russia's supportive stances toward the will of the Syrian people, the report said. He also expressed worries regarding the radical rebels' violent acts against the Syrian people, the report added. The Russian leader praised the Syrian people's steadfastness and stressed that the Syrians are the only ones to decide the future of their country. For his part, Assad, during the phone call with his main foreign ally, stressed the need for bolstering bilateral relations and lauded Moscow's support for the Syrian people, according to SANA. The Syrian Foreign Ministry has sent a letter to the UN to complain about the surge in the rebels' mortar attacks on many cities.