Foreign Ministers of the guarantor countries of the Syrian settlement- Russia, Iran and Turkey – Sergey Lavrov, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Mevlut Cavusoglu held the seventh talks in the Astana format. The meeting was held as a video conference. The main topics of discussion were the situation in Idlib, Syria, East of the Euphrates, and the coronavirus pandemic.
The ministers outlined the relevance of further efforts to separate the moderate opposition in the Idlib area from the terrorists.
"In discussing the Idlib situation, they noted that implementing the March 5 Russian-Turkish protocol made it possible to achieve important results in de-escalating the situation, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (outlawed in Russia) illegal armed units continue their attempts to obstruct them. They outlined the relevance of further efforts to separate the moderate opposition in the Idlib area from the terrorists," the message of the Russian MFA reads.
The ministers reaffirmed Russia, Iran and Turkey’s commitment to the unconditional respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as per UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and underscored the leading role of the Astana format in promoting the components of the Syrian settlement, including stabilisation on the ground, facilitating the return of the refugees and displaced persons, resolving the humanitarian problems of the civil population, and supporting the intra-Syrian dialogue under the Constitutional Committee in Geneva.
The parties agreed to the need to increase the activities of international organisations in rendering humanitarian assistance to the Syrian population, especially during the spread of the coronavirus.
"In this context, the appeal of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to mitigate and suspend the sanctions that undermine Syria’s ability to combat the epidemic are of special importance," emphazied in the message.
Lavrov, Zarif and Çavusoglu welcomed the agreement between the government and the opposition on the agenda of the next meeting of the Constitutional Committee Editorial Team.
"The ministers of the Astana format expect the meeting to be held, as soon as the epidemiologic situation allows, with the assistance of Geir O. Pedersen, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria, under his mandate," it's said.
The Ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey confirmed the holding of the next sixth round of country leaders talks on the Syrian settlement in the Astana format on Iranian territory after the normalization of the epidemiological situation.
"The Ministers pointed to the need to continue consultations and coordination at the highest level between the three countries, stressing that the Astana process is the most important and effective way to resolve the Syrian crisis," the message of the Iranian MFA reads, in particular.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry