The latest international meeting in Russia will contribute to the search for peace in Syria, a senior diplomat said Tuesday, adding that Iran will stay in the Arab country as long as the Damascus government wants.
"I would like to say that the meeting produced a good result. It was a good time [follow up the] agreements between the three guarantor nations to promote the process of normalizing the situation in Syria so that the country can restore peace and end the crisis," Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the foreign minister's special assistant for political affairs, told Russia’s TASS news agency.
Ansari represented Iran during the talks spearheaded by Tehran, Moscow and Ankara in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday and Tuesday, which were attended by delegations from the Syrian government and the political opposition.
The meetings were held within the framework of the Astana diplomatic track, which is sponsored by the three nations and is separate to UN-led efforts in Geneva.
The official said the main issues discussed during the talks were the formation of a constitutional committee, exchange of war prisoners and return of refugees.
On Iran's presence in Syria, Ansari said it depends on the agreements with Damascus, the situation on the ground and the political environment in the Arab state.
Next Round
In a statement issued at the end of the talks, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and announced that the next high-level international meeting on Syria would be held in November.
"The parties underscored the need to encourage efforts that help all Syrians to restore normal and peaceful life," read the statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The three nations said they will coordinate their efforts with international organizations to help create the necessary conditions for the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons and refugees to their original places of residence in Syria.
The Syrian civil war, now entering its eighth year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven more than 11 million from their homes.
