The presidents of Russia, Turkey, and Iran have met in in the Russian resort city of Sochi to discuss the settlement of the Syrian crisis. They are expected to approve a joint declaration after the meeting.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Russian president Vladimir Putin said that coordinated efforts of Moscow, Ankara and Tehran have prevented the disintegration of Syria. He noted that the military actions against the terrorists are coming to an end.
“A decisive strike has been carried out against Syrian terrorists and offering a real chance to put an end to the long-lasting civil war,” Putin said.
Although there are real prospects for Syria to develop as a peaceful state, it is of major importance to determine basic principles of the internal political situation in the near future.
According to Vladimir Putin, “the Syrian people themselves have to agree on the principles.”
Additionally, the Russian president expressed his hope that “Russia, Iran and Turkey will make the most active efforts to make this work as productive as possible.”
He also noted that “the success of the forthcoming reforms largely depends on the resolution of the social and economic problems in Syria — the restoration of its industry, agriculture, infrastructure, health and education systems.”
Moreover, Vladimir Putin admitted that the large-scale military operations against terror groups in Syria are about to finish.
“The large-scale military operations against terrorist gangs in Syria are coming to an end. I would like to point out that due to the efforts of Russia, Iran and Turkey, the dissolution of Syria, its seizure by the international terrorists and humanitarian disaster have been prevented… The militants in Syria have suffered a devastating defeat and there is a real chance to put an end to this years-long civil war,” Putin said.
The Russian President added that the ceasefire regime in Syria was being respected and four de-escalation zones created in accordance with the deals reached during the Astana reconciliation talks were operating properly.
Source: Sputnik
