TEHRAN – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has announced that his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian will pay a visit to Turkey to attend a ministerial meeting about Syria.

The Turkish foreign minister said he would meet Amir Abdollahian next Tuesday and “the Iranian President can also visit Turkey in the upcoming days,” according to Al-Monitor. 

Iran has stepped up diplomatic efforts regarding Syria. On Wednesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Syria, among other things, over the phone. 

In the conversation, President Raisi emphasized that regional issues can be resolved only through cooperation and coordination, citing the Caucasus region and Syria as examples. "The Islamic Republic of Iran always emphasizes strengthening regional integration and the harmfulness of foreign interference."

Regarding the efforts to solve the Syrian issues, Raisi emphasized the centrality of the Astana Framework and announced the readiness of Iran to play an active and constructive role in ending the conflicts and establishing peace in Ukraine, according to a readout by the official website of the Iranian presidency. 

Putin, for his part, welcomed Iran's initiative to establish peace in Ukraine and emphasized coordination to solve the problems of Syria within the Astana Framework.

Earlier in mid-December, the foreign ministers of Iran and Turkey had discussed the latest issues surrounding Syria. In the conversation, the top Iranian diplomat supported pursuing the political process in Syria, saying only through cooperation and coordination among regional nations can lasting security be established in the country.

In early January, Amir Abdollahian spoke with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad over the phone. They discussed the latest state of bilateral ties as well as developments in Syria and the region.

Amir Abdollahian and Mekdad also underlined the resolve of the high-ranking officials of Iran and Syria to expand bilateral ties in different spheres more than ever before.

The top Syrian diplomat also thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran for its constructive and effective role in fighting terrorism and helping resolve the crisis in Syria through political means including during the Astana peace process.

Mekdad stressed the need for Iran to continue its role in being involved in any political initiative regarding his country.

Also, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Sosan travelled to Iran last week for talks with Amir Abdollahian and his senior advisor for special political affairs Ali Asghar Khaji.

During his meeting with Sosan, Amir Abdollahian underlined the significance of the outstanding relations between Iran and Syria and the close cooperation of the two countries to establish stability, security and peace in the region.

The Iranian foreign minister also reiterated the necessity of upgrading the ties between the two countries in different spheres and described expansion of cooperation in the field of economy as an inevitable necessity for both countries to best exploit their existing capabilities.

For his part, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Sosan honored the memory of martyr General Qassem Soleimani and his special role in fighting terrorism in Syria and the region and thanked the Islamic Republic for its support for Syria against terrorism and extremism and for its help in the political resolution of the crisis in Syria.