Putin, Rouhani point to effective cooperation on Astana platform - Kremlin

MOSCOW, February 6. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani have held a telephone conversation, pointing to effective cooperation between Russia, Iran and Turkey on the Astana platform, the Kremlin press service said in a statement. "The parties pointed to effective cooperation between Russian, Iran and Turkey on the Astana platform," the statement reads. "They expressed readiness to continue coordinating their steps to promote the platform and put new issues on the agenda," the Kremlin press service added. Putin and Rouhani also exchanged views on the outcome of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, held in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi in late January. "It was stressed that the decisions made there were aimed at providing a significant impetus to the political settlement process in Syria based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, as well as at improving the situation in the region," the statement said. On December 30, 2016, the Syrian government and armed opposition made an agreement declaring a ceasefire across the country, which had been brokered by Russia and Turkey. In addition to the UN-sponsored talks in Geneva, Russia, Turkey and Iran organized a series of intra-Syrian consultations in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana, seeking to ensure the ceasefire. At an Astana meeting in May 2017, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed a memorandum on setting up de-escalation zones in Syria, which entered into force on May 6, 2017. Read more