The leaders of the three-way summit (Turkey, Russia and Iran) held in Tehran on Friday 7th Sempteber agreed to address the situation in the area of reducing the escalation in Syria, according to the spirit of Astana.
This came in accordance with the final statement of the summit, which brought together Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and Iranian Hassan Rowhani, which concluded earlier Friday.
“The leaders expressed their satisfaction with the achievements of the format of Astana since January 2017, in particular, the progress made in curbing violence throughout Syria and contributing to peace, security and stability in the country,” the statement said
The three leaders also stressed “their strong and continuing commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, rejecting all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism.”
The final communique stated that the leaders discussed “the current situation on the ground, reviewed the developments concerning Syria, and agreed to continue tripartite coordination.”
The leaders also stressed in their statement that they “dealt with the situation in the area of reducing escalation in Idlib and decided to deal with it in line with the spirit of cooperation that characterized the form of Astana, stressing their determination to continue cooperation for the eventual elimination of all terrorist organizations and the Nasra Front and all individuals, groups, Associated with the base.”
They reaffirmed their conviction that there can be no military solution to the Syrian conflict and that it can only be concluded through a negotiated political process and reaffirmed their determination to continue active cooperation in order to advance the political process in accordance with the decisions of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference In Sochi, and Security Council resolution 2254.
The leaders expressed their satisfaction with the useful consultations between senior officials and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Syria (Stephane de Mistura), stressing the need to support all efforts to assist all Syrians in restoring their normal and peaceful lives and alleviating their suffering.
On the other hand, the leaders called on the international community, particularly the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies, to increase their assistance to Syria through additional humanitarian assistance and to facilitate mine action.
They also reiterated their determination to continue joint efforts aimed at protecting civilians and improving the humanitarian situation by facilitating the rapid, safe and unhindered access of aid to all Syrians in need.
The leaders “stressed the need for coordination among all concerned parties, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other specialized international agencies, to create the conditions for the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons and agreed to consider the idea of convening an international conference on refugees and displaced persons.”
The statement concluded by stressing that the leaders “welcomed the progress made in the work of the Working Group on the Release of Detainees, Kidnappers and Extradition, as well as the identification of missing persons, as was done with the participation of United Nations experts and the International Committee of the Red Cross”. Scheduled to hold their next meeting in Russia.
The summit will be of great importance because of recent developments in Syria. The Iranian, Russian and Turkish presidents will discuss various issues related to Syria, including the return of refugees and the drafting of a new constitution, which will contribute to laying the foundations of security and peace in them.
Most of the rural areas of Idlib and Aleppo on Friday witnessed massive demonstrations, in conjunction with the Tehran summit, condemning the military campaign promoted by the regime and Russia to the province of Idlib and the statements of UN envoy to Syria Stephane de Mistura.
This has left more than 30 cities and villages in the countryside Idlib and Aleppo and Hama, demonstrations after Friday prayers, some of which witnessed the participation of thousands of people.
The demonstrations were spread over the following cities: Idlib, Madinah, Khan Sheikhun, Ma’arat al-Nu’man, Dana, Sarmada, Harim, Slqin, Azmarian, Darkush, Jisr al-Shughour, Sarqab, Jericho, Kharafil, Maarrah Chlef, Kafruhid, Bensh and other towns of rural Idlib.
Demonstrations also took place in various areas of the Aleppo countryside, including: Al-Atareb, Anadin, Anjara, A’zaz, Mara, Al-Ais, Dara Azza, Zerba and Morak and towns in the plain of Al-Ghab in the governorate of Hama.
