The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey have held a trilateral meeting in the Russian city of Sochi to discuss the situation in Syria.
Upon arrival at the venue of the talks, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey were welcomed by Syrian President Bashar Assad.
After posing for a photo, the three presidents heading high-ranking delegations kicked off their negotiations.
The three-way talks focused on reviewing the trend and outcome of the Astana talks and on setting in motion the domestic political process in Syria.
Given the announcement, by Iran, of the complete defeat of the ISIS terrorist group in Syria, the three men also discussed the future steps to be taken to ensure long-term stability in the country.
President Rouhani also sat down with his Russian and Turkish counterparts separately
In his one-on-one meeting with Putin, the Iranian president expressed pleasure with his trip to Sochi and the trilateral meeting. He described the three-way talks as fruitful and timely, saying the negotiations play a key role in ensuring peace and stability in Syria. He expressed hope the discussions will help put an end to war and bloodshed in Syria as soon as possible.
In the bilateral meeting, Putin stressed that Sochi talks are aimed at settling the issues of Syria.
The two presidents also highlighted the need to further expand mutual cooperation in different areas.
In his meeting with Erdogan, President Rouhani said the three-way talks between the presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia play a pivotal role in resolving regional issues, especially those of Syria. He noted the negotiations can help promote lasting peace and stability in Syria and the whole region.
He said the foundation of ISIS in Syria and Iraq have collapsed, but noted, “We have yet to go to fully eliminate terrorism in the region.”
Rouhani underlined that Tehran and Ankara should boost their cooperation to achieve their common goals, namely the establishment of peace and security in the region.
Erdogan, in turn, said his country is set to forge closer ties with Iran on all fronts.
