TEHRAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2020) The coronavirus pandemic must first be overcome before a trilateral summit on the Syrian crisis between Iran, Turkey and Russia can be organized, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Monday.
Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi told the UN Security Council in early February that a new round of Astana-format peace talks on Syria would be held in Tehran in the near future. Later that same month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani proposed having a trilateral�Iran-Turkey-Russia summit with the aim of settling the escalating situation in Syria's Idlib province.
"Before the spread of the coronavirus, Tehran agreed to host a meeting of the presidents of the countries of the Astana process. Unfortunately, due to current conditions, we do not have such an opportunity," Mousavi said at a press conference, adding that after the country will reconsider holding the summit after it overcomes the pandemic.
The spokesman added that diplomatic efforts continued and foreign ministers were holding consultations.
The so-called Astana talks, under the mediation of Russia, Iran and Turkey, were launched in 2017 in a bid to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict. The negotiations resulted in a landmark ceasefire agreement with the opposition and the establishment of four de-escalation zones. Since the launch of the Astana format, nearly all terrorists have been cleared out of Syria, bringing on the long-awaited beginning of the political settlement process and return of refugees.
The last summit was held in December 2019, during which the three ceasefire guarantors reaffirmed the importance of preserving Syria's sovereignty and the implementation of the 1998 Adana agreement between Turkey and Syria, which allows Turkish troops to temporarily enter Syria as far as 5 kilometers (3 miles) to fight the Kurdistan Workers' Party.
