7th trilateral meeting on Syria held via teleconference

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - The seventh meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Iran and Russia on the latest situation in Syria was held Wednesday via teleconference.

"The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Syria, developments on the ground, particularly in Idlib and east of the Euphrates, the political process, humanitarian situation and return of refugees were discussed in the meeting," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

During the meeting, the three countries as the guarantors of the Astana process reaffirmed their commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity.

“In the meeting, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu underlined the importance attached by Turkey to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in Syria and, to that end, the necessity to increase coordinated international efforts," the ministry added.

Cavusoglu also emphasized the need for the continuation of humanitarian assistance activities toward Syria via Turkey.

The parties also expressed their satisfaction over the reduction of tensions in Idlib thanks to the Additional Protocol of March 5, 2020 to the Memorandum on Stabilization of the Situation in the Idlib De-escalation Area.

Mentioning the importance of the ceasefire in Idlib, Cavusoglu pointed out that a lasting ceasefire constitutes a fundamental necessity to advance the political process.

Meanwhile, "Cavusoglu expressed Turkey’s concerns over the ongoing acts of terror by the PKK/YPG and continued attempts to legitimize it as a result of the failure to fully remove the PKK/YPG from the regions as foreseen by the Memorandum of Understanding of Oct. 22, 2019," said the statement.

While the parties highlighted the importance of furthering the political process in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, Cavusoglu reiterated Turkey’s expectation of concrete progress in the third round of the constitutional committee meetings.

"Cavusoglu also indicated that Turkey would continue the necessary work on the return of Syrian refugees displaced due to the conflict. Turkey’s readiness to work with its Astana partners on this issue was also highlighted," the statement added.