The Presidents of Russia, Iran, and Turkey have begun discussing the Syrian peace process. The meeting is taking place in Sochi. At the summit of the three leaders, Vladimir Putin said that the security issues in the northeast must be resolved based on respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Russian President believes that the Syrian Constitution Committee should begin its work as soon as possible. In addition, Vladimir Putin proposed to discuss specific steps to ensure the complete and ultimate elimination of the terrorists in Idlib.
Vladimir Putin: "It's necessary to agree about ensuring the definitive de-escalation in Idlib. We manage to maintain a ceasefire in the province. But that doesn't mean that we will tolerate the presence of the terrorist groupings in the area. That is why I propose to consider specific practical steps which Russia, Turkey, and Iran could take together to completely destroy the terrorist strongholds. We must also discuss the prospects of the development of the situation in the Syrian northeast taking into account the notorious statements made by American officials regarding the possible withdrawal of the US troops.
Last month in Moscow, we exchanged ideas on this issue with President of Turkey Mr. Erdogan. We agreed that the security issues in the Syrian northeast, similar to the other parts of the country, must be resolved based on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic".
Vladimir Putin also noted about a million Syrian refugees currently require assistance. The Russian President said that he's counting on more active participation of the UN and the international community in resolving this issue.
Vladimir Putin: "Russia, Iran, and Turkey propose to coordinate our work in order to bring the country back to normal life and help the citizens rebuild a post-conflict Syria. And we've achieved specific results. Over the last six months, more than 140,000 Syrian refugees managed to return home safely. We've ensured safe and unobstructed access of humanitarian aid to the conflict-stricken areas. The number of Syrians deprived of an opportunity to receive aid has decreased by three times.
Yet, about a million Syrians still require our help. We hope that the entire world community and especially the UN and its relevant agencies will play a more active role in supporting the people of Syria without politicization and preconditions".
