Some countries eager to become observers in Astana process, Putin says

SOCHI, February 14. /TASS/. The foreign ministries of Russia, Iran and Turkey will consider the possibility of including a number of other countries in the Astana process on Syria as observers, Russian President Vladimir Putin said following talks with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts in Sochi. "Some countries have requested to be included in the Astana process as observers," he said. "In this regard, we have instructed our foreign ministries to consider the possibility of providing them with such a status," he added. "I would like to point out that thanks to the considerable contribution made by Russia, Iran and Turkey, conditions have been created for launching a peacebuilding process. We are confident that it is only possible to ensure sustainable stability in Syria through the use of political and diplomatic tools," Putin pointed out. "We all agree that only the Syrian people are eligible in deciding the future of their country. There is no other way to resolve the Syrian crisis," the Russian president concluded. Read more