"Stability is improving, and all that opens the doors to the political process, which we started a while ago," Assad told Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a transcript of the May 17 meeting released by the Kremlin.

At the meeting Putin congratulated the Syrian leader on what he said were significant successes on the battlefield achieved by the Syrian military, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

"After these military successes, additional conditions have doubtless been created for the renewal of a fully-fledged political process," he was quoted as saying.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Assad informed the Russian president of his decision to send a delegation to the United Nations to discuss reforming the country's constitution as part of a UN-sponsored peace process.

Putin said to Assad: "Foreign armed forces will be withdrawn from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic."

Reporter’s code: 50101