TEHRAN - Ali Asghar Khaji, a senior advisor to the Iranian foreign minister on special political affairs, has held talks with senior diplomats from Turkey and Russia over Syria amid reports of a possible Turkish incursion into northern Syria.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Director General Selçuklu Önal met with Khaji on the sidelines of the meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva on October 20. The two sides discussed the latest developments in Syria.

Welcoming the sixth round of talks on the Syrian constitution, Önal expressed hope that the talks would lead to good results which are in the interests of the Syrian people.

The senior advisor to the Iranian minister of foreign affairs stressed that the Syrian Constitutional Committee was developed based on the Astana process and that these talks should continue based on the will of the Syrian people and without foreign interference, the Iranian foreign ministry said. 

On the situation in Idlib, Khaji said if the agreements reached in the Astana format are implemented in this regard, many problems will be solved, and of course, the permanent solution to the problem of Idlib will be to clear it of armed groups and terrorists and bring it back under the control of the Syrian government.

In this meeting, the two sides also discussed the next meeting of the Astana format in the near future.

Khaji also met with Russia’s special envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev in Geneva to discuss the latest developments regarding the Syria crisis, especially the situation in the east of Euphrates and Idlib province.

Lavrentiev referred to the sixth round of talks between the members of Syria’s Constitutional Committee and expressed hope that the meeting will achieve good results. Khaji also spoke of the positive approach of some countries toward the Syrian people and government. He expressed hope that this will speed up humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria, its reconstruction, and the return of refugees to their country.
Earlier, Khaji met with Qatar’s Special Envoy for Regional and Syrian Affairs on the sidelines of a meeting in Geneva to draft Syria’s new constitution.

During the meeting, the Qatari envoy touched on the positive process of the Geneva talks among Syrian sides, expressing hope that the sixth meeting of the Syrian Constitution Committee brings about a successful outcome.

The Iranian official, in turn, talked about Qatar’s approach to the region. He expressed hopes that Qatar helps in the process of sending humanitarian aid to Syria and also in the reconstruction of Syria and the return of refugees to their country. He stressed that the people of Syria are facing a difficult economic situation due to sanctions, the coronavirus pandemic, and foreign pressure.