Sochi Talks Crucial for Syria Peace

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said the trilateral summit attended by Iran, Russia and Turkey in Sochi was a “significant step” toward ending the six-year Syrian conflict.

In Turkey to attend a meeting of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, Larijani on Thursday told Anadolu Agency that Tehran, Ankara and Moscow “are now one step closer to reaching a common political solution to the issue of peace in Syria.”

“The three countries alone will not make decisions on behalf of the Syrian people, but their efforts will ease the process,” he said. Emphasizing that Turkey, Iran and Russia had played a major role in wiping out the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group, Larijani said some countries that allegedly fight IS secretly support the terrorist outfit.

“Certain countries” support terror groups to destabilize the region, Larijani added, noting that these countries waste the energy of Muslim nations. “Turkey and Iran should warn regional countries about the conspiracies that the US engages in,” he said. On Wednesday, Russian, Turkish and Iranian presidents met in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.  Russian President Vladimir Putin said participants had agreed to support a Syrian “peoples’ congress” as an initial step toward establishing dialogue between the warring sides.