Putin: Reconstruction and Intensive Work to Help Displaced Syrians Return Home Main Tasks in Syria Now

SOCHI- Reconstruction and intensive work to help displaced Syrians return home are the main tasks in Syria now, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed.

Following talks with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Sochi on Wednesday, Putin said that he and al-Sisi agreed to continue coordination on the political process in Syria, pointing out that the main tasks now are reconstruction, helping the displaced Syrians return home and forming a committee to discuss the constitution, the Syrian News Agency SANA reported.

 The Russian president pointed out that he informed al-Sisi about the content of Sochi agreement on Syria’s Idleb, clarifying that the two sides agreed on giving special interest to the situation in Idleb where a large number of terrorists gather and form threat to neighboring countries.

“We compared notes on this problem and agreed on join work,” Putin said.

On his part, al-Sisi said that he and Putin agreed on continuous consultations on developments in Syria and on supporting political solution in the country, a solution that preserves Syria’s sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

Putin Highlights Need for Collective Restoration of Syria’s Economy

According to Itar Tass, Putin said that the soonest possible establishment of a constitutional committee in Geneva and restoration of the Syrian economy are among key tasks in Syrian settlement.

“An arrangement was made to continue cooperation for the purpose of making the Syrian political process more active,” the Russian leader said. “The task now is that the constitutional committee in Geneva should be formed and start working,” Putin said. “At the same time, it is important to undertake collective efforts for recovery of the Syrian economy in order to create comfortable conditions for the purpose of refugees’ return,” he added.

Negotiations held confirmed that Moscow and Cairo have similar or close positions on many international and regional issues, the Russian President said. “Cooperation between our countries has always been and remains the effective factor of supporting security in the Middle East and North Africa,” Putin noted.

Russian, Egyptian presidents discuss regional problems

The Russian and Egyptian Presidents have discussed regional problems at a narrow-format meeting.

“We are very glad to see our friends in Russia and share opinions on the development of bilateral relations and on regional problems here in Sochi today,” the Russian president said, starting off the restricted negotiations.

Putin stated that the economic ties between the two countries are successfully developing. “Last year we stated a sharp 62% growth in the trade turnover, plus 28% in the first six months of this year,” the head of state noted. The Russian state leader stressed that it is the result of the diversification of bilateral ties. “They are rather diversified. They include agriculture, industry, equipment and vehicles,” he specified.

Al-Sisi: Political process only way to solve crisis in Syria

On Tuesday, al-Sisi told the Russian upper house of parliament that the settlement in Syria has no other alternative but the political process.

“Speaking about Syria – there is no other alternative but the political process under the UN auspices,” the Egyptian president said.

“It is necessary to bolster activity of the constitutional commission as a first step aimed towards restart of the talks, in order to put an end to the crisis in Syria that has been continuing over the past few years,” he told the Russian senators.

Putin, al-Sisi sign strategic cooperation treaty

The Russian and Egyptian Presidents put their signatures under the agreement on comprehensive cooperation and strategic partnership after their talks in Sochi on Wednesday.

Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, had said earlier that this document “will not only record the achieved level of cooperation and partnership, but will also set tasks of boosting an entire range of bilateral ties in the future.”

In the meantime, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who had a meeting with the Egyptian leader on Tuesday, pointed out that the agreement “will mark a new stage in development of Russian-Egyptian relations, which are friendly regardless of it.”

In presence of Putin and al-Sisi, a memorandum of understanding on strategic political consultations was signed between the two countries’ foreign ministries.

Hamda Mustafa