Putin: Colleagues, ladies, and gentlemen.The President of Iran, Mr. Rouhani, the President of Turkey, Mr. Erdogan, and I have just concluded comprehensive talks on Syria, which were held in a constructive and businesslike manner. We have thoroughly discussed the key aspects of the Syrian settlement and agreed to continue making every effort to complete the primary task of establishing peace and stability in the country, preserving its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. We noted with satisfaction the significant success we have had in our joint fight against terrorism, and confirmed our readiness to increase cooperation in order to completely destroy ISIS, Jabhat Al-Nusra, and other extremist groups. In our common opinion, the achievements on the battlefield, which are bringing the liberation of Syria from militants closer, are also ushering in a new stage in the settlement process in general. I mean the realistic prospect of achieving lasting and comprehensive normalization in Syria, including political life in the country in the post-conflict period.
This is precisely the aim of the joint statement that was issued following our talks.
The document outlines the priority areas for further cooperation between Russia, Turkey, and Iran, which play a leading role in Syrian affairs, and sets specific goals for the future. We are unanimous in our commitment to promote the interaction of the three states within the Astana format, which has already proved its effectiveness and contributed to significantly reducing the level of violence in Syria and enabling the return of refugees and internally displaced persons.
As guarantor countries, Russia, Iran, and Turkey continue to work closely on strengthening the ceasefire, the sustainable functioning of de-escalation zones, as well as confidence-building between the parties to the conflict. To this end, we have agreed on the priority steps to promote the comprehensive intra-Syrian dialogue on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254. I note with satisfaction that the presidents of Iran and Turkey support the initiative to hold a country-wide forum in Syria – the National Dialogue Congress. We agreed to hold this most important event at an appropriate level and ensure the participation of broad layers of Syrian society. We have charged the foreign ministries, as well as special services, security and defense agencies with working out the makeup and time-frame for holding the Congress here in Sochi.
Generally, the idea is to bring together at the negotiating table delegations from various political parties, the domestic and the external opposition, and ethnic and religious groups.
The congress will address key issues on the national agenda for Syria, above all those related to defining the parameters of future statehood, the adoption of a new constitution and, based on it, holding elections under UN oversight. This will give an impetus to the Syrian settlement within the Geneva process. I reiterate that Syria’s fate should be decided by the Syrians themselves, both those who back the incumbent government, and the opposition.
Our colleagues were briefed on the conversation with President of Syria Bashar Assad that had taken place here in Sochi. We took note of the Syrian leadership’s commitment to settling the political crisis by peaceful means, carrying out a constitutional reform, as well as free, UN-supervised elections. During today’s talks, we did not neglect Syria’s socio-economic recovery issues. A great deal of work lies ahead, to help the Syrian people create an infrastructure, to restore industry, agriculture, and trade, and reopen social facilities: hospitals, schools, and kindergartens. We have repeatedly stressed that it is of paramount importance to boost the amount of humanitarian aid to the population, completely clear Syria’s territory of landmines and preserve the historical and cultural heritage. At our meeting today, we have agreed to do our best to involve in it other states, as well as regional and international organizations.
In conclusion, I would like to thank our Iranian and Turkish partners, my counterparts President Rouhani and President Erdogan for this substantive, very productive and fruitful conversation. I would like to hope that the agreements that have been reached will help effectively accelerate a peaceful settlement in Syria and reduce the risks of the outbreak of new conflicts and the escalation of interethnic and inter-religious rivalry, and as result will have a most positive impact on the situation in the Middle East as a whole. Thank you.
Rouhani: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate and the Merciful, I would like to begin by thanking President Putin for his important initiative to hold a summit of the three countries to address peace and stability in Syria, as well as to ensure that Syrian refugees safely return to their homes. The importance of the moment that was chosen for this meeting is that at present, our decisions can help stabilize the situation in Syria, as well as boost the progress of the Astana meetings. ISIS bases in Syria and Iraq have mostly been destroyed and a consensus with regard to fighting terrorism has been reached in the region. Terrorism cannot be a tool for any country; under any circumstances, terrorism is a threat to countries. We are seeing that now ISIS is threatening the countries that once were helping it, and it is killing innocent citizens of these countries. This is the context in which the present meeting was held. The meeting was very useful; we exchanged views and shared our stances. The main aim is to shape the Syrian National Dialogue Congress involving all the layers of the Syrian population, both those who support the Syrian government and those who are in opposition to it, so that they could get together, discuss Syria’s future and create conditions for developing a new Constitution for Syria. A new Constitution could provide a basis for holding elections in Syria. In turn, this could become a beacon of peace and stability for the entire region.
Our three countries are urging all countries in the world to facilitate peace in Syria and to create conditions for the Syrian refugees to return home, as well as for the economic recovery of the Syrian state. We've expressed our stances. Our three countries favored holding the Syrian National Dialogue Congress here in Sochi, as well as a meeting of the three countries’ foreign ministers. The intelligence and security agencies of the three countries will also hold a meeting to ensure all the necessary conditions for the Congress.
We hope that this congress will mark another step toward peace and stability in Syria, as well as toward free elections in Syria, based on a new Constitution. I would like to thank President Putin once again for his invitation and also thank President Erdogan for his participation in this meeting. We hope that this process, aimed at restoring peace in Syria, will continue.
Erdogan: Friends, honorable members of the delegations, honorable media collective, ladies and gentlemen, My cordial greetings to you all. I would like to thank all our Russian friends as represented by my friend Mr. Putin. Our close dialogue with Russia continues both at the bilateral and regional levels. We are achieving results in all areas, praise Allah. I would like to emphasize that we agree with Mr. Putin that it is necessary to give additional impetus to our efforts. Following the bilateral meeting with Mr. Rouhani, we concluded that we should continue to develop our cooperation in all areas. During our meetings today, both with Mr. Rouhani and Mr. Putin, we discussed the issues on the agenda in a frank manner. We reviewed the measures we are to take to secure a truce in Syria. We were pleased to note that the creation of de-escalation zones played the main role in decreasing tensions. We also discussed steps that may contribute to the Geneva process for a sustainable settlement of the Syrian conflict, taking into account the progress achieved at the Astana talks. On the other hand, I would like to note that we agreed that we must support a large-scale, free, fair and transparent political process led by the Syrian people as stipulated by the UN Security Council Resolution 2254. I would also like to note that we decided to coordinate our efforts towards a meaningful contribution to the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, which will be held at the initiative of the Russian Federation.
Our statement today is the first step reflecting the pillars of our cooperation.
There is no doubt that our strongest desire is that these positive steps should continue. In this regard, the sides’ positions are crucial to the success of our efforts. It primarily depends on the stances of the government and the opposition. On the other hand, our mutual understanding and mutual respect as guarantor countries are critical in this respect. Our country’s priority will be to wipe out terrorist elements, which are encroaching on our country’s national security, on Syria’s political unity and territorial integrity. Nobody should expect us to stay under the same roof with a terrorist organization that is encroaching on that nation’s national security. If we state our commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity, as well as to Syria’s political unity, we cannot regard the blood-stained gang that is trying to divide the country as a legitimate player.
Ladies and gentlemen, during the consultations with Mr. Putin and Mr. Rouhani, we emphasized the importance of confidence-building measures. To implement these measures step by step, it is necessary to provide unhindered and continuous access to humanitarian aid for people who have for many years been isolated in this respect. I believe that the point that we have reached in these talks will be a key stage in achieving this goal. Our meeting will be useful and will receive a positive response in this region. I invite all responsible members of the international community to support our efforts. Thank you very much.
