Russia, Iran and Turkey Stress No Military Solution to Syria War: Astana Talks

An international meeting on the Syrian settlement began in the capital of Kazakhstan on January 23 with the participation of a number of delegations, including armed opposition, Damascus, Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Russia, Iran and Turkey reiterated that there is no military solution to the Syrian war and that only a political process can resolve the crisis. The states reaffirmed their commitment to independence and territorial integrity of Syria.

The guarantors “express their conviction that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict and that it can only be solved through a political process,” the statement read.

The guarantors “reaffirm their commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, non-sectarian and democratic state,” the statement read.

Moreover, it was officially announced that a trilateral group on monitoring the Syrian ceasefire will be established. Earlier in the day, a source confirmed earlier media reports to Sputnik that Moscow, Ankara and Tehran will form a mechanism to monitor violations of the truce in the Arab Republic.

Russia, Iran and Turkey supported in a joint statement the determination of the Syrian opposition to take part in the upcoming Geneva talks.

The joint statement was announced by Kazakh Foreign Minister kairat Abdrakhmanov.