NUR-SULTAN – Russia, Iran and Turkey, the guarantor states of the Astana Process Syrian peace talks in Nur-Sultan, issued a joint statement following Aug. 2 talks in the Kazakh capital reaffirming their commitment to cooperate to eliminate in Syria all groups designated by the United Nations as terrorist organisations.
Photo credit: mfa.gov.kz.
These groups include DAESH/ISIL, Al-Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups and entities associated with Al-Qaeda or DAESH/ISIL and other UN designated terrorist groups.
The sides also agreed to protect civilians according to international law and to protect the military personnel of the three guarantor states within and outside the Idlib de-escalation area.
The statement also says that there can be no military solution to the Syrian conflict and reaffirms the commitment to advance the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process in line with the UN Security Council resolution 2254 and the decisions of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi.
The parties praised a July 31 mutual release of detainees within the framework of the working group of the Astana format. The guarantor states also said the working group is an effective tool to build confidence between the Syrian parties and agreed to increase its activities.
The joint statement stresses the need to increase humanitarian assistance to all Syrians throughout the country without preconditions. The guarantor states called on the international community, the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies, to enhance assistance to Syria by developing early recovery projects, including the restoration of basic infrastructure assets – water and power supply facilities, schools and hospitals as well as the humanitarian mine action. They also discussed holding the International Conference on the Humanitarian Assistance to Syria.
The joint statement followed the 13th round of Astana Process talks hosted by the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Russia was represented in the talks by Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev; Turkey was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal and Senior Advisor to the Iran’s Foreign Ministry Ali Asghar Haji headed the Iranian delegation. The next round of Astana Process talks in Nur-Sultan will be in October.
