Iran, Russia, Turkey reaffirm commitment to Syria's territorial integrity after talks in Astana
Iran, Russia and Turkey, guarantors of the Syria ceasefire, have reaffirmed their strong commitment to the Arab country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity after a tripartite foreign ministerial meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Mevlut Carusoglu, convened in the Kazakh capital to address the situation in Syria on Friday.
The city has been hosting talks aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the seven-year crisis in Syria.
The talks have featured the Syrian government and opposition’s representatives, with the three states serving as guarantors. Tehran and Moscow side with Damascus, while Turkey takes part on behalf of the Syrian opposition.
At a turning point last year, the negotiations led to establishment of four de-escalation zones across Syria.
In a joint statement issued after the meeting, Tehran, Moscow and Ankara “reaffirmed their strong and continued commitment to the sovereignty and independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.”
They also expressed satisfaction with the “concrete contribution of the Astana process to improvement of the situation in Syria during the last year, calling for continued “coordinated efforts” to make sure the reduction in violence in Syria would be “irreversible.”
The guarantor states further “reiterated their conviction that there was no military solution to the Syrian conflict.”
They underlined the need for a political solution to the crisis “through an inclusive, free, fair, and transparent Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process leading to a constitution enjoying the support of the Syrian people, and free and fair elections with the participation of all eligible Syrians under appropriate UN supervision.”
The meeting is expected to lay ground for a summit involving the presidents of the three countries in Istanbul on April 4.
The ministers were slated to focus on the situation in Eastern Ghouta, in the Idlib de-escalation zone and setting up a constitutional commission, among other issues.
The situation in Eastern Ghouta was expected to take center stage at the talks. The Syrian army, backed by Russian air cover, is conducting an operation against the terrorists holed up in the Damascus suburb and, at the same time, evacuating civilians through humanitarian corridors.
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