Tehran, Moscow Discuss Syria

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, conferred on the latest political and military developments in Syria after a recent nationwide ceasefire in the war-hit country. In a telephone conversation late on Monday, Shamkhani and Patrushev talked about a host of issues, including ways to strengthen and continue Tehran-Moscow cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups in Syria until the complete elimination of the criminal groups. The two sides also stressed the necessity of holding regular consultations between the Islamic Republic and Russia with the aim of advancing the political process of resolving the prolonged crisis in the Arab country. Diplomatic efforts to end fighting in Syria have gained momentum in recent weeks with the announcement of a ceasefire in the Arab country on January 1.

The truce is to be followed by a new round of peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Astana, Kazakhstan, later this month. Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various foreign-backed militant groups currently controlling large swathes of the country.