The meeting took place in Sochi, Russia, on Thursday , 17 May 2018. According to the acting Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, the two leaders conducted “extensive” negotiations in Sochi.

As the two presidents talked about the conditions that would facilitate the peace process development, the Syrian president said that he had decided to send a delegation to a committee tasked with rewriting  Syria’s constitution, which was championed by the UN.

The agreement on the creation of the constitutional committee was one of the major results of the Sochi peace congress held in January this year. The participants of the congress agreed on January 30 to set up the constitutional committee in Geneva, and to hold democratic elections in Syria.

At that time, Moscow said it expected the UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to take practical steps to implement the decisions taken at the Sochi Congress, and to actively participate in the drafting of a new constitution for Syria. The three countries, who brokered the Sochi Congress, Russia, Islamic Republic of Iran, and Turkey, vowed to fully support the UN and de Mistura in the implementation of its outcomes.

The Constitution Commission is expected to comprise some 150 members including the delegates from those groups who did not attend the Sochi gathering in January.

Russian presidential spokesman, Peskov, added:  "During the meeting on Thursday, the two leaders also discussed the necessity to intensify humanitarian efforts in Syria as well as the issues related to economic recovery of Syria. 

Putin also congratulated Assad on “significant advance in fighting against terrorist groups” on  Syrian territory.