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November 23, 2017

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Key summit on Syria a ‘real chance’ for peace

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin called for “concessions and compromise” from all parties in Syria’s six-year conflict yesterday as he kicked off a key summit with the leaders of Turkey and Iran aimed at reviving stuttering peace negotiations.

The summit with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Black Sea resort of Sochi came two days after the Russian leader hosted surprise talks with the war-torn country’s President Bashar Assad.

“It is obvious that the reform process will not be simple, it will require compromise and concessions from all parties, including obviously the Syrian government,” Putin said.

“I count on the fact that Russia, Iran and Turkey will put in their best efforts to make this work as productive as possible,” he said.

Putin added that there was a “real chance” to end Syria’s war which monitors say has killed more than 330,000 people as he said Russia, Turkey and Iran had managed to prevent the collapse of the war-torn country.

Erdogan said the three countries had to intensify efforts to try to settle the crisis. “We need to make significant progress on the political solution,” he said. “I believe that we will make critical decisions here.”

Rouhani said the three countries’ strategy was “based on partnership and not competition, on friendship and not on animosity”

“By cooperating, our countries destroyed the decaying body of terror” in Syria, he said.

Russia claims to have practically ended the military conflict through its intervention, but the various sides in Syria are far from a political agreement.

Ahead of yesterday’s summit, Putin discussed Syria with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, among other leaders.

In a lengthy phone call on Tuesday, Putin and Trump stressed the need to ensure “the stability of a unified Syria,” the White House said.

Syria is divided between forces loyal to Kremlin-allied strongman Assad, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and several jihadist groups and rebel units.

Multiple rounds of talks hosted by the UN have failed to end the conflict.

Other initiatives, including those spearheaded by Moscow, have also failed to bear much fruit.

Syrian forces have gained the upper hand on the battlefield with Russia’s help, including recent victories against the Islamic State group and a fresh drive against rebels near Damascus.




 

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