Iran’s Velayati Hails Coordination with Turkey on Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Head of the Strategic Research Center of Iran’s Expediency Council Ali Akbar Velayati hailed as a “major development” the recent coordination between Iran, Russia and Turkey in their efforts to help resolve the crisis in Syria.
In the past, Iran and Russia were on one side and Turkey on the other, but the three countries have now managed to pave the way for favorable results in Syria, Velayati told reporters in Tehran on Tuesday, referring to a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey in Moscow.
He described the diplomatic coordination among Tehran, Moscow and Ankara as a major development that would help the Syrian government and nation get rid of terrorists.
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov and Turkey’s Mevlut Cavusoglu issued a joint statement after a meeting in Moscow, calling for continued cooperation on Syria and reiterating their respect for Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (ISIL), controlling parts of it.