Astana Format Guarantors Meet UN Envoy in Geneva
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Diplomats representing the three guarantor states of the Astana Peace Process –Iran, Russia and Turkey – held a meeting with the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria in Switzerland to discuss the situation in Syria.
The representative of the guarantors of the Astana format and United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen met in Geneva on Thursday on the sidelines of a meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee.
The Islamic Republic has sent a delegation to Geneva, led by senior adviser to the Iranian foreign minister for special political affairs, Ali Asghar Khaji.
Khaji has held separate bilateral meetings with the representatives of Turkey and Russia in recent days.
In the Thursday meeting with Pedersen, the Iranian diplomat voiced support for the UN envoy’s efforts, stressing that in addition to the Constitutional Committee’s debates, the other subjects relating to Syria must be also taken into account, including the humanitarian crisis, the removal of sanctions, the reconstruction process, and the fight against terrorism.
Khaji also called on the United Nations and the international community not to ignore the US’ occupation-style presence in Syria and the Zionist regime’s successive acts of aggression against the Arab country.
In the quadripartite meeting in Geneva, Pedersen and the representatives of the Astana guarantors weighed plans for the sixth round of the Syrian Constitutional Committee and expressed delight at the process of negotiations among the Syrian groups.