President Stresses Continuation of Astana Process, Tripartite Talks
IRAN NEWS POLITICAL DESK
TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani, in a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Putin, said that the situation in Syria’s Idlib is worrying and the decisions made under the Astana Process must be operationalized as soon as possible.
Speaking with Russian President Putin, President Rouhani mentioned the recent developments in Idlib and his phone call earlier with the President of Turkey in this regard, saying, “The situation in Idlib is worrying and the decisions made under the Astana Process must be operationalized as soon as possible so that peace and security is returned to the region and terrorism is eradicated.”
Stating that it is not acceptable that a part of Syria is under the control of terrorists, he said, “As it has been stressed repeatedly, the solution to the Syrian issue is merely political and will be resolved only through dialogue and we must not let the situation in Idlib turn into a pretext for America’s interference and misuse of the Syrian issue.”
President Rouhani also voiced Iran’s readiness to host the next summit of Iran, Russia, and Turkey in continuation of the Astana Process, saying: “In the recent years, great actions have been taken in fighting terrorism through the cooperation of Iran, Russia, and Syria, the impacts and results of which must be protected.”
“In the Idlib issue, we are fully ready to reach a political and security solution agreed by all three countries,” he continued.
President Rouhani described the relations between the two countries good and developing in all fields, saying: “We are ready to increase cooperation in all areas of interests to both countries.”
On the recent developments regarding the nuclear issue, the President appreciated Moscow’s stances regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and said: “We will live up to our commitments until the time we enjoy the interests of the agreement, and we hope that this agreement is saved with other parties’ cooperation.”
At the same phone call, the President of Russia expressed sympathy with the Iranian government and people on the lives lost because of coronavirus, and welcomed Iranian President’s suggestion for quick implementation of health protocols, adding, “We are ready to cooperate with Iran for quick implementation of health protocols.”
Vladimir Putin stressed cooperation between Iran and Russia on JCPOA, saying: “The recent summit of experts in Vienna laid the ground for settling this issue, especially with regard to the fact that Tehran has cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)”.
Russian President also referred to the agreements within the framework of Astana Process for resolving the Syrian issue as a very effective move, saying: “Creating de-escalation zones must not mean not fighting with terrorism.”
Stressing the importance of preserving the territorial integrity of Syria, Putin said: “It is the Syrian government’s right to react for fighting terrorism in its land”.
Welcoming Iran’s readiness to host the next tripartite summit, he said: “The next summit of the three countries in Iran can help achieve a solution”.
