Putin calls on Turkish and Iranian presidents to develop comprehensive plan to rebuild Syria

SOCHI, November 22. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested at a trilateral meeting of the presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran on Wednesday that the three countries should think about jointly developing a comprehensive plan to rebuild Syria. "Considering the huge scope of destruction, we could jointly think about elaborating a long-term comprehensive program of rebuilding Syria," the Russian president said. Putin said he was confident the success of upcoming transformations would largely depend on the solution of Syria’s social and economic problems and the restoration of its industry, agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare and education systems. No less important is the humanitarian aspect, including targeted aid to the population, mine clearance on liberated territories and assistance in the return of refugees, the Russian president said. Putin noted that thousands of refugees had already started returning to their homes after de-escalation zones had been set up in Syria. Speaking about the elaboration of the comprehensive program of rebuilding Syria, the Russian leader said that experts from Russia, Turkey and Iran had carried out tremendous preparatory work for substantive talks. "That is why, I am confident that the discussion will be detailed and productive and the accords reached will contribute to further restoring peace and security in Syria, strengthening its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and help stabilize the situation in the Middle East," the Russian president said. Read more