NUR-SULTAN (Dispatches) -- Russia, Iran and Turkey have agreed to hold the next Astana format summit in Tehran in February or March 2022, depending on the coronavirus situation, senior assistant to Iranian foreign minister for special political affairs Ali Asghar Khaji told TASS on Wednesday.
“We are preparing to hold it early next year. It will depend on the pandemic situation. But in general, we have agreed to hold the summit. Most likely, we will be able to hold it in February or March,” the Iranian diplomat said.
Khaji said the issue was on the agenda of talks in Nur-Sultan and will be reflected in a separate provision of the guarantor nations’ final statement.
Asked whether the summit will be preceded by a foreign ministers’ meeting, he replied: “Yes, we have agreed on the matter. It will be next year. In January or early February, we will hold a meeting of foreign ministers, and a summit will follow that.”
He also said that the next international Astana format meeting on Syria will be convened within a few weeks after the summit of Russia, Iran and Turkey.
Delegations representing Iran, Russia and Turkey on Wednesday issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the 17th round of talks within the Astana format with the purpose of ensuring peace in Syria.
They “reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and highlighted that these principles should be universally respected and complied with”
They also “expressed their determination to continue working together to combat terrorism in all forms and manifestations and stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as threatening the national security of neighboring countries”.
The statement said the participants “condemned the increasing terrorist activities in various parts of Syria which result in loss of innocent lives including the attacks targeting civilian facilities”.
They further reiterated the necessity to further continue their ongoing cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate DAESH/ISIL, Al-Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaeda or DAESH/ISIL, and other terrorist groups.
The three countries “expressed serious concern with the increased presence and terrorist activity of Hayat Tahrir al‑Sham and other affiliated terrorist groups as designated by the UN Security Council that pose threat to civilians inside and outside the Idlib de-escalation area”.
According to the statement, Iran, Turkey and Russia “discussed the situation in northeast of Syria and agreed that constant security and stability in this region can only be achieved on the basis of preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country”.
They “rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives under the pretext of combating terrorism”, the statement said.
They also “reaffirmed their determination to stand against separatist agendas in the east of the Euphrates aimed at undermining the unity of Syria as well as threatening the national security of neighboring countries”.
Most importantly, they “condemned continuing Israeli military attacks in Syria which violate the international law, international humanitarian law, the sovereignty of Syria and neighboring countries, endanger the stability and security in the region and called for cessation of them”
They stressed that the occupying regime of Israel’s abuses of civil aircraft as a cover in its aggressions on Syrian territory is in stark violation of international regulations, endangering lives of civilians.
The three countries again expressed their conviction that there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict and reaffirmed their commitment to advance viable and lasting Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process.
They also reiterated grave concern at the humanitarian situation in Syria and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic amid unilateral Western sanctions, “which are in contravention of international law, international humanitarian law and the UN Charter”.