Tehran Summit Aimed at Restoring Calm to Syria: Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi highlighted the agenda of an upcoming summit in Tehran between the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey, and said the talks aim to help resolve the protracted crisis in Syria.
Speaking to reporters during his weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Qassemi said the summit between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, would be held in Tehran on Friday following the meetings between the three countries’ foreign ministers.
He further emphasized that the summit is not expected to resolve all issues surrounding the prolonged crisis in Syria but it can facilitate more steps to combat terrorism and restore tranquility to the Arab country.
“Certainly, the summit of the three countries cannot be limited to one issue,” Qassemi said, adding, “Along with the Syrian issue, regional issues and international developments and issues of mutual interest will be discussed.”
In April, the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey - the three guarantor states of de-escalation zones in Syria - held a meeting in Ankara to discuss ways for peaceful settlement of the crisis in Syria.
The three countries have so far held several rounds of peace talks in Kazakhstan’s Astana and elsewhere to help end the conflict in Syria. The fourth round of those talks in May 2017 produced a memorandum of understanding on de-escalation zones in Syria, sharply reducing fighting in the country.
Diplomatic efforts to end fighting in Syria gained momentum in 2017 with the announcement of a ceasefire in the Arab country in early January.
According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.