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487083
Wed, 04/04/2018 - 14:18
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Russian-Turkish-Iranian summit on Syria begins in Ankara

ANKARA, April 4. /TASS/. The Russian-Turkish-Iranian summit on Syria has begun in the Turkish capital of Ankara. Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Hassan Rouhani of Iran stopped for a photo upon arrival in the Turkish presidential palace. Earlier on Wednesday, Putin and Erdogan held bilateral meetings with their Iranian counterpart. The Russian and Turkish leaders discussed the Syria issue at their Ankara meeting on Tuesday. Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said earlier that the three presidents were expected to exchange views on the implementation of agreements reached at their previous meeting held in Russia’s Sochi in 2017, as well as of the decisions made at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, also held in Sochi. Besides, the three presidents will also discuss additional measures to ensure the Syrian ceasefire. "Additional steps are likely to be outlined that would help ensure the ceasefire and the proper functioning of the so-called de-escalation zones," Ushakov stressed. "The three countries are united in their understanding that there is no alternative to resolving the Syria issue through political methods, while the final say should lie with the Syrian people and the global community should help them reach a consensus," he said. There will also be a discussion of progress in the Syrian constitutional reform. According to Ushakov, Russia, Iran and Turkey are determined to continue facilitating the establishment of a Constitutional Committee that should comprise representatives of all strata of Syrian society. Following the summit, Putin, Erdogan and Rouhani will adopt a joint statement. "We expect that the three leaders will reaffirm commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity both at their meeting and in the joint statement, as it is a very important issue," Ushakov told reporters. Read more

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