The 20^th International Meeting on Syria in the Astana format started activities in the Kazakh capital on Tuesday.

The delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic, headed by Assistant Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Dr. Ayman Sousan, and delegations of the guarantor states of the Astana process, “Russia, Iran and Turkey,” are participating in the meeting.

The delegation of the Russian Federation is headed by the Russian President’s Special Representative for the Middle East and African Countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, and the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran is headed by Ali Asghar Khaji, Senior Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Special Political Affairs.

The meeting will last for two days and representatives of the United Nations and the neighboring countries of Syria, namely Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, are expected to participate in its work as observers.

The Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the discussions at the current meeting include changes in the regional position on Syria and the humanitarian situation there, efforts to settle the crisis, issues of combating terrorism, as well as the reconstruction of Syria and providing suitable conditions for the return of refugees.

The first day of the meeting will witness bilateral and tripartite meetings between the participating delegations, and consultations will continue on the second day prior to the plenary session of the meeting, in which the final statement will be read out, followed by press conferences by the heads of the participating delegations.

The 19^th International Meeting on Syria in the Astana format was held in the Kazakh capital on November 22 and 23, 2022. In its final statement, it called for commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

Syrian delegation meets delegations of Russia and Iran

Within the 20^th International Meeting on Syria in the Astana format, the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic, headed by Dr. Ayman Sousan, Assistant Foreign and Expatriates Minister, met with the Russian delegation, headed by Mikhail Bogdanov, Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Representative of the Russian President for Middle East Affairs.

Later, the Syrian delegation held another meeting with the Iranian delegation, headed by Ali Asghar Khaji, senior Assistant to the Iranian Foreign Minister for Special Political Affairs.

During the two meetings, discussions revolved around the agenda of the meeting, and viewpoints converged on various relevant issues.

Aspects related to the four-way meeting at the level of deputy foreign ministers of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Turkish Republic were also on the table.

In this context, Dr. Sousan stressed that the Turkish withdrawal from the Syrian territories constitutes the only entry point for any normal relations between the two countries, or for any cooperation in any field.

He affirmed that combating terrorism is not selective, and that ensuring border security is a common responsibility of neighboring countries.

Bogdanov and Khaji reiterated their countries’ support for Syria in preserving its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and not interfering in its internal affairs.

It was also agreed to continue consultations and coordination between Syria, Russia and Iran on various related aspects to enhance common visions in line with current developments.

Source: Agencies