Putin Calls for Focusing on Political Process to Find Solution to Crisis in Syria as soon as Possible

ISTANBUL- Russian President Valdimir Putin has stressed the need to focus on the political process to find a settlement to the crisis in Syria as soon as possible.

In a press conference with President of the Turkish regime Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sideline of the World Energy Congress in Istanbul, Putin said that very much time was devoted to regional issue mainly the situation in Syria.

“We in Russia believe it is necessary to get down to the political process of the settlement in Syria as soon as possible,” Putin said. “We believe that those who indeed seek peace must support these proposals,” he said, according to Itar Tass.

 The Russian president also said that he and Erdogan agreed to work as to support the initiative of the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura on the withdrawal of “Jabhat al-Nusra” terrorists from eastern Aleppo, hoping that the issue of humanitarian aid delivery  to Aleppo will be “a subject for the talks due to be held in Switzerland on Saturday.”

He called to ensure delivery of humanitarian cargoes to Syria’s Aleppo and exclude any provocations and attack on such convoys.

Putin also said that Russia has presented  a proposal to the US side to spare no effort to withdraw units of the Syrian army and so-called “opposition” forces from both sides of Castello Road to ensure the safety of the humanitarian convoys.

“The American partners, as a matter of fact, are refusing to do it – they either cannot do it or don’t want to due to some reasons,” the Russian leader noted.

Russia and Turkey signed several cooperation agreements on the sidelines of the World Energy Congress.

Hamda Mustafa