De-escalation of Tensions in Syria Result of Iran-Turkey Agreement in Astana

"The agreement reached between Iran and Turkey in Astana assuaged the tensions in Syria; something that agreement between for US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian foreign minister could not make it to happen," Zarif said.

He reiterated that the talks held by Iran and Turkey with the Syrian opposition forces in Astana ended the conflicts.

"One group cannot make decisions for the whole world now and that is a big mistake to think that there are superpowers in the world," Zarif added.

In relevant remarks in December, Zarif said that the Syrian crisis could be solved with following and facilitating political solution, condemning the approach undertaken by the West.

He added that Iran, Turkey and Russia have always insisted on a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Zarif made the remarks after a trilateral meeting with foreign ministers of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey as guarantors of the Astana format on the formation of Syria Constitutional Committee in the Swiss city of Geneva.

He called on the Western countries to facilitate the resolution of the crisis instead of pushing ahead with their own agenda.

“In Geneva alongside Russian and Turkish counterparts to move forward on a constitutional committee to resolve Syria crisis. We always insisted on a political solution led and owned by Syrians. The West has now been compelled to accept this. But it needs to facilitate; not dictate,” Mohammad Javad

In the joint statement at the end of the meeting, the senior negotiators from the three guarantor states agreed to take efforts aimed at convening the first session of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva early next year.

Following the meeting, they also met with UN’s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura at the UN headquarters in the Swiss city.

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