Astana Meeting on Syria Very Promising, Says Araqchi

Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday that Astana negotiations comprising the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey and Russia experienced a very promising progress in fight against terrorism and lessening of tensions.

Araqchi said in a televised speech on Tuesday on the outcome of Astana negotiations.

It is over two-three years that Astana talks resumed through active presence of Iran, Turkey and Russia, he said.

Alongside Astana talks, ‘we witnessed resumption of Geneva talks’ in which western countries failed to invite Iran but the result of such negotiations did not bear fruits, he said.

 Geneva talks turned to be a center for those countries leaving destructive role in Syria and they spared no efforts to support terrorists, he said.

Geneva talks was under supervision of the UN, but is now inactive and it is for long time we hear no news about them, Araqchi said.

Presently Syria is experiencing a very sensitive period as terrorists have been uprooted in different parts of Syria through close cooperation of countries forming Astana meeting and Syrian government and army and all have sheltered in Idlib city, he said.

Terrorists have been merged with the civilians in the city of Idlib and use people as human shield, he said.

IRNA

R.S