The foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey on Saturday called for an immediate end to violence and access to humanitarian aid in war-wrecked Syria, reiterated their support for the country's territorial integrity and condemned any use of chemical weapons.
The talks between Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran, Russia's Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu of Turkey were held in the wake of coordinated airstrikes by US, British and French forces against Syrian targets on April 14, which were carried out in response to an alleged chemical attack by government forces. Damascus denies the allegation.
In a statement issued at the end of the three-sided meeting, they "reaffirmed their commitment to continue their joint efforts with the aim of protecting civilians and improve the humanitarian situation through facilitating immediate, safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to all those in need," Iran's Foreign Ministry reported.
The three officials also said the ground should be prepared for the return of Syrians displaced by the seven-year-old conflict.
The statement called for an international investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons into the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, rejecting any action carried out under the pretext of fighting terrorism that would undermine the Arab country's national sovereignty.
In addition, they agreed to hold the next meeting on Syria in Astana, Kazakhstan, in June.
***Continued Efforts
Tehran, Moscow and Ankara have been attempting to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict at talks that started last year in the Kazakh capital.
The most recent Syria talks attended by the foreign ministers in Astana were held on March 16, according to AFP.
EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini on Tuesday urged the three powers to do more, saying they "have not only a responsibility but also an interest in making the ceasefire work."
Eight rounds of talks on Syria under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva have made little headway.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a summit on Syria with the Iranian and Turkish presidents in November. They then met again in Ankara this month.
***Bilateral Talks
Zarif held bilateral talks with his counterparts ahead of the trilateral summit, in which they exchanged views on a range of issues.
In his talks with Lavrov, he thanked the Russian government for its support of the Iran nuclear agreement, saying that Tehran will continue its cooperation with the country in the international arena.
Zarif particularly highlighted the importance of consultations on efforts to fight terrorism in the region and maintain peace and security in the Caspian Sea— the world's largest inland body of water bordered by Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
Lavrov expressed hope that the decisions made at a recent meeting of the Iran-Russia joint economic commission would help increase the volume of bilateral trade.
In a separate meeting, the Iranian and Turkish chief diplomats explored ways to expand relations, especially in the area of banking and financial services.
