Russia, Turkey and Iran on Wednesday expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria, stressing the need for assisting all Syrian citizens without discrimination, in a statement issued in the wake of the latest Astana-format talks on Syria in the Russian resort city of Sochi
SOCHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2021) Russia, Turkey and Iran on Wednesday expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria, stressing the need for assisting all Syrian citizens without discrimination, in a statement issued in the wake of the latest Astana-format talks on Syria in the Russian resort city of Sochi.
"[The representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey] once again expressed their grave concern regarding the humanitarian situation in Syria and the coronavirus pandemic, acknowledging that it greatly complicates the work of Syria's healthcare system, [as well as] the socio-economic and humanitarian situation," the joint statement by the participants reads.
The sides urged UN agencies, especially the World Health Organization, to prioritize vaccination of the population in Syria.
"Emphasized the necessity of increasing humanitarian assistance to all Syrians across the entire country without discrimination, politicization and preliminary conditions," the document continued, calling on the international community and the UN to increase assistance to Syria, including through various restoration initiatives.
The Syrian Civil War has been going on since 2011 with President Bashar Assad's forces fighting against different insurgent groups. The Astana trio, which comprises Russia, Turkey, and Iran, has been trying to bring the conflicting sides together to achieve peaceful settlement since their first meeting in the Kazakh capital of Astana (now Nur Sultan) in January 2017.
