The head of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), Patriarch Kirill, has been invited to visit Syria by Muslim religious leaders and the religious affairs ministry there.

If a visit does take place, Kirill is expected to visit Maalula, a Christian village where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is still spoken.

The Mufti of Moscow, Albir Krganov, told Interfax he had been told the visit would be "important for the support to the Christians".

Krganov said an initiative to create an inter-faith Syria support foundation under the aegis of the Russian Public Chamber, a consulative body created by President Vladimir Putin, was also under discussion.

"We are currently considering a consolidated collection of humanitarian aid for Syria through civil society efforts and representatives of the traditional religions," he said.

The ROC, which is increasingly dominant in the Orthodox world, has donated funds to the Syria-based Patriarchate of Antioch to help with humanitarian relief because of the conflict.

Russian support has been crucial to the survival of the Assad regime, which has relied heavily on its military aid in its campaign against rebel forces. Russia's President Vladimir Putin sees the regime as vital to its interests in the region, not least because Russia's only Mediterranean naval base, at Tartus, is leased from Syria.