Rouhani in Ankara to attend a new round of Astana talks

Tabnak – In line with their continuous efforts to solve the crisis in Syria through diplomatic means, the presidents of Iran and Russia have joined the Turkish counterpart in Ankara for a new round of Astana talks. The event is also seen by the three heads of states as an opportunity to address bilateral issues.

The summit between Presidents Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, will focus on the issue of the northwestern province of Idlib, whose large parts in addition to parts of neighboring Hama constitute the last major militant stronghold in Syria.

Ankara and Moscow agreed last September to turn Idlib and parts of Hama province into a de-escalation zone.

Speaking in an interview with Reuters, Erdogan said Monday’s summit would aim to stop the influx of refugees from Idlib and establish a ceasefire in the region.

“The expectation here is not a momentary ceasefire. First, it is to put a stop to the migration here,” he said, adding “Second, to ensure a ceasefire here. Third, to seriously get terrorist organizations under control.”

The meeting will be held within the framework of the Astana Process, an initiative by Iran, Russia, and Turkey which mediate peace negotiations between representatives from the Damascus government and opposition groups in several rounds held in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) and other places since January 2017.

The talks, which are collectively referred to as the Astana peace process, have so far helped significantly reduce the violence by establishing four de-escalation zones in the counry. They have also paved the way for the formation of a "Constitutional Committee".

In his remarks before leaving Tehran for Ankara on Sunday, Rouhani said what is currently going on in the Middle East region is the result of US' plots and wrong plans, urging regional countries to resolve the existing crises through dialogue.

“Today, what is taking place in this region and has concerned many countries of the world is the result of erroneous plans and conspiracies of the United States,” Iran's president said, adding, “We have declared time and again that regional issues must be resolved by regional countries and through dialogue.”

"If we want the establishment of real security in this region, a full stop must be put to acts of aggression by the US and provocative interventions by the Zionist regime [of Israel]; otherwise we will witness the continuation of insecurity," he added.

It should be noted that like the previous round of their trilateral meetings, the three presidents have also held bilateral talks. In this vein, both Rouhani and Putin held separate meetings with Erdogan upon arrival in Ankara, in which issues of mutual interests were discussed.