Lavrov: Russia, Iran, Turkey agreed on facilitating the stopping of military operations in Syria, stressing “steps will be taken on the ground”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has affirmed that the guarantor states of the Astana process- Russia, Iran and Turkey- have agreed on facilitating the stopping of military operations in Syria, stressing that steps will be taken on the ground.

The states also agreed to call on the Syrian government and the opposition to start dialogue and implement Security Council Resolution 2254.

During a press conference on Saturday following a meeting with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts within the Astana format in Doha, Lavrov said “we agreed to take steps to stop military operations and we will take steps on the ground. As for the de-escalation zone in Idlib, we said that commitments within the framework of Astana platform do not allow support for “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” and demand separation between the opposition and this terrorist organization.

Lavrov also said “we emphasized Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, the immediate cessation of hostilities, and refusal to allow terrorists to seize territory in Syria. We agreed also to call on the Syrian government and the opposition to start dialogue and implement UN Resolution 2254, which strongly affirms the unity and sovereignty of Syrian territory and condemns any attempts by terrorists to disrupt the lives of Syrians.

The Russian Foreign Minister continued by saying “according to the information available to us, the advance of “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” from Idlib to other areas, the capture of the city of Hama, and the approach to Homs were planned in advance, and are an attempt to change the balance of power on the ground. We will oppose and confront this, and we will support the legitimate authorities in Syria. At the same time, we will support and push for the establishment of a dialogue between the government and the opposition in accordance with what was stipulated in UN Resolution 2254.”

Lavrov stressed the need to adhere to Astana process outcomes and strictly implement the de-escalation agreements as a main framework for addressing the crisis in Syria.

He said “Russia continues to provide military assistance to the Syrian army through its military base in Hmeimim, and is trying to do everything in its power to combat terrorists in Syria with the aim of eliminating them. Russia will continue to fight terrorist groups in Syria even if they say they are no longer terrorists.”

Lavrov stressed that it is unacceptable to use terrorists to achieve geopolitical goals, as is happening in Syria, explaining that “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” in Syria is a terrorist group, and its leader “Abu Muhammad al-Julani” is listed on the terrorist lists in Russia and the United States, and despite that, Washington gives him the opportunity to appear and speak on CNN.

Regarding reports about Russia withdrawing its ships from Tartous, Lavrov said that this has to do with naval maneuvers taking place in the Mediterranean.

For his part, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi affirmed in a statement following the meeting that there was consensus among all participants in the Astana meeting in Doha on the necessity of ending the war in Syria and respecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Araghchi said “we held a very good session within the Astana group that brought together the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, and at the end of the session, the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, joined us, and the current and urgent issues in Syria, which are considered extremely dangerous, were discussed, and there was consensus among all participants on the necessity of ending the clashes immediately, respecting the unity and the sovereignty of Syria, and returning to the UN resolutions”.

Araghchi went on to say that the meeting emphasized the necessity of starting political talks between the Syrian government and the legitimate opposition groups, and this was the focus of the meeting’s demands, as it was agreed to consult with the Syrian government on these issues, and the Russian side also agreed to consult with the Syrian government.

Hamda Mustafa