“The situation in Idlib is very complicated,
considering the presence of dangerous terrorists and [the necessity] to protect
innocent people living in this region,” Rouhani said in a phone call with
his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday.
He stressed the importance of cooperation among Iran, Turkey and Russia in line
with the Astana peace process to solve the conflict in Syria and said,
“Trilateral cooperation at different levels has special significance and
as it has been already announced, Iran is ready to host the next round of this
trilateral summit.”
The previous trilateral meeting, the fifth in a row, between the presidents of
the countries acting as guarantors of the Astana process to promote a peaceful
settlement in Syria took place in Ankara in September 2019.
The trio also maintains contacts as part of the high-level meetings on Syria in
Nur-Sultan (previously Astana), Kazakhstan. The last such meeting was held on
December 10-11, 2019.
Elsewhere in his talks, the Iranian president lauded the Astana peace process
on Syria as a great achievement for regional security, saying,
“Definitely, increasing tension will not be in favor of anyone in the
region and we should solve issues through dialog.”
He added that Tehran, Ankara and Moscow have agreed on the importance of
safeguarding Syria’s territorial integrity, uprooting terrorists, protecting
innocent civilians’ lives and settling the conflict in Idlib as soon as
possible.
Tensions surged in Idlib, the last major terrorist stronghold in the war-torn
country, on Thursday after dozens of Turkish soldiers were killed in an
airstrike by Syrian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the targeted Turkish
troops were among terrorists.
On Friday, Turkey, which backs anti-Damascus militants, claimed that it had hit
200 Syrian government targets, “neutralizing” 309 soldiers.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday called for an urgent containment of the
chaotic situation in Idlib, saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is
closely monitoring and pursuing the field developments and the regional
consequences in Idlib.”
“Given the previous decision made by senior officials
attending the Astana [peace] process on holding this meeting in our country,
the Islamic Republic of Iran continues its efforts to hold the summit under the
current critical circumstances,” the ministry said in a statement.
Rouhani also pointed to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in many
countries across the world and said, “The coronavirus has turned into an
international problem and all countries should stand together to overcome the
crisis.”
He added that Iran has drawn up “effective and safe” plans and
carried out very good measures to manage and control the virus and treat the
patients.
The Iranian president also expressed the country’s readiness to immediately
implement a health protocol between the two countries to fight the coronavirus
in an effort to prepare the ground for the continuation of bilateral trade
exchanges.
According to the latest statement released by Iran’s Health Ministry on
Saturday, coronavirus infections have taken the lives of 43 Iranians, with a
total number of 593 people being diagnosed with the disease across the country.
The Turkish president, for his part, said Iran plays a leading role in solving
the Syrian crisis and added that political dialog is the only solution to the
conflict in the country.
Erdogan added that Iran, Turkey and Russia have achieved positive outcomes
during the Astana summit and emphasized the importance of continuing such a
process to establish sustainable peace.
He also expressed his sympathy with the Iranian nation and the bereaved
families of the victims of the coronavirus and said his country would spare no
effort to help Iran contain the disease
