The Syrian president on Wednesday assured Russia's Vladimir Putin of Damascus' commitment to a Russia-U.S. proposed truce, even as a spokesman for a Saudi-backed alliance of Syrian opposition and rebel factions expressed "major concerns" about the ceasefire, due to begin later this week.
On Wednesday, Assad and Putin discussed the truce agreement in a telephone call, according to the Syrian state-run news agency and a Russian official.
SANA said Putin called Assad, adding that the two leaders stressed the importance of continuing to fight the Islamic State, the Nusra Front "and other terrorist organizations."
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed the phone call, saying there were differences in opinion between Moscow and Damascus but that Russia is one of the few countries still in contact with "the legitimate Syrian leader."
He did not elaborate.