Envoys from Iran, Russia, Turkey, UN to Discuss Syria Next Week

Talks among the UN diplomat and high-level officials from the three countries will focus on setting up a "credible, balanced, and inclusive" committee to draft a new constitution for Syria and usher in elections, read the UN statement issued on Friday, which broke the news about the upcoming meeting in Geneva.

It added that the meeting will take place ahead of de Mistura's monthly presentation to the UN Security Council set for December 20.

"The efforts to establish a constitutional committee have been the subject of continuing consultations. In this context, Special Envoy de Mistura anticipates hosting high-level representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey in Geneva early next week as he finalizes his assessment, to be presented to the Security Council on 20 December, of the possibility of establishing a credible, balanced and inclusive constitutional committee," the document says.

In a related front on November 30, Special Assistant to Iran's Foreign Minister in Political Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari renewed Tehran's support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis, and said that the West should bring to a halt its support for the terrorist groups.

"Iran has been staunch supporter of reaching a peaceful and political solution to the crisis in Syria," Jaberi Ansari said.

The remarks by the special assistant to Iran's foreign minister in political affairs came after his meetings and talks with Syrian and Russian representatives to Astana peace talks on November 28-29 in the Kazakh capital.

Senior officials from Iran, Russia and Turkey met at the 11th round of the Astana peace talks in the Kazakh capital as part of efforts to find a permanent political solution to settle the Syrian crisis.

On the sidelines of the meeting on Tuesday, Jaberi Ansari, who heads Iran’s delegation at Syrian peace talks, met and held talks with Syria's permanent representative to the UN Bashar Jaafari, who represents Damascus at the talks.

Jaberi Ansari also held talks with Russian president's Special Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev ahead of the peace talks.

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