MOSCOW, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Russia, Turkey and Iran will help Syria establish a committee to carry out constitutional reforms in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday after a meeting with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Sochi.

"We have agreed to contribute by joint efforts to the most rapid start of work of the constitutional committee, which is to work on the fundamental aspects of the future state system of Syria," Putin said at a joint press conference following the trilateral talks dedicated to the settlement of the Syria issue.

It is necessary to approve the list of participants of the committee, most of whom have already been agreed on with the Syrian government and the opposition, and elaborate regulations for the main parameters of its functioning, Putin added.

Russia, Turkey and Iran are guarantors of a ceasefire deal in Syria and have been mediating a peace process for the Syrian crisis since 2016.

Putin said the three guarantors have helped create favorable conditions for Syria's transition to peaceful development.

"We are convinced that a durable stability in Syria can only be reached by political and diplomatic methods in accordance with the resolution 2254 of the UN Security Council and with strict observation of principles of unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country," he said.

Meanwhile, the three presidents discussed the further development of the situation in Syria after the U.S. announcement of plans to withdraw its troops from Syria's northeastern regions.

"We came to a general conclusion the implementation of these measures could become a positive step. It would help stabilize the situation in that part of Syria, where finally the control by the legitimate government should be restored," Putin said.

He added that the three countries have contributed to the humanitarian aid to Syria's population and the return of refugees, which has so far amounted to 1.5 million people.

On the other hand, he urged the whole international community to pool efforts so as to radically improve the situation in Syria, to eliminate acute social problems and to revive the economy.

"We call on all interested states and international organizations, primarily the UN, to intensify aid to Syrians in return to peaceful life and overcoming the consequences of the military conflict," Putin said.

According to Putin, the trilateral summit is expected to promote further productive work leading to the final restoration of peace and stability in Syria, and the three countries have agreed that the next 12th round of such consultations will take place in Astana at the end of March or the beginning of April. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)