DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday hailed his country's six-year joint anti-terror campaign with Russia during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Russian capital Moscow, according to the Syrian presidential media office.

In the video footage of the meeting released by the office, Assad started his speech by hailing the Syrian-Russian efforts to fight terror groups in Syria.

"I am happy to meet today in Moscow as the six years have passed since the joint operation against terror started, during which both the Syrian and Russian armies made major achievements not only about liberating lands or returning refugees to their areas but through protecting other people across the world because terrorism crosses borders," he said.

The president noted that his visit to Moscow is an important opportunity to discuss two issues -- fighting terrorism and the political process, adding that his government insists on moving forward with fighting terrorism in parallel with the political process.

Putin congratulated Assad on winning the recent presidential elections, and spoke about the importance of the reconstruction process in Syria and the need for a political solution to move forward.

Russia has been supporting the Assad government in the fight against terror groups in Syria since 2015.