TEHRAN — Presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey on Wednesday held a tripartite virtual summit voicing strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria.

Rouhani called for an immediate pullout of U.S. forces from Syria. The Iranian president also said the pressure by the United States “cannot cause any crack in the will of the countries who are friends of Syria.” 

Iran, Russia, and Turkey are members of the Astana process which have been holding several rounds of talks at different levels to bring peace and security to Syria.

At the end, Presidents Hassan Rouhani, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a joint statement saying they reviewed the developments following their last meeting in Ankara on September 16, 2019, and reiterated their determination to enhance the trilateral coordination in light of their agreements.

The following is an excerpt of the joint statement:

The Presidents:

Rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives, and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as threatening the national security of neighboring countries.

Expressed their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to the Syrian Arab Republic.

Reaffirmed the determination to continue cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate DAESH/ISIL, Al-Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities associated with Al-Qaeda or DAESH/ISIL, and other terrorist groups, as designated by the UN Security Council, while ensuring the protection of the civilians and civilian infrastructure in accordance with the international humanitarian law.

Reviewed in detail the situation in the Idlib de-escalation area and underscored the necessity to maintain calm on the ground by fully implementing all agreements on Idlib.

Expressed grave concern at the humanitarian situation in Syria and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rejected all unilateral sanctions which are in contravention of international law, international humanitarian law, and the UN Charter, particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emphasized, in this regard, the critical need to ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Syria in order to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, and, called upon the international community, particularly the UN and its humanitarian agencies, to increase their assistance to all Syrians without discrimination, politicization, and preconditions.

Reaffirmed their conviction that there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict and that it could only be resolved through the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254. Emphasized in this regard the important role of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, created as a result of the decisive contribution of the Astana guarantors and the implementation of the decisions of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi. Welcomed the agreement to hold the third meeting of the Constitutional Committee in August 2020 and reaffirmed the readiness to support its work through continuous interaction with its members and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen, as facilitator, in order to ensure its sustainable and effective work.

Highlighted the need to facilitate safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their original places of residence in Syria, ensuring their right to return and right to be supported. 

Reaffirmed the necessity to respect universally recognized international legal decisions, including those provisions of the relevant UN resolutions rejecting the occupation of Syrian Golan, first and foremost UN Security Council Resolution 497 and thus condemned the decision of the US Administration on the occupied Syrian Golan, which constitutes a grave violation of international law and threatens regional peace and security. They consider Israeli military attacks in Syria as destabilizing and violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country and intensifying the tension in the region.

In addition to the Syrian issue, they confirmed their intention to strengthen trilateral coordination in different fields in order to promote joint economic cooperation.

Agreed to assign their representatives with the task of holding the next International Meeting on Syria in the Astana format as soon as possible.

Agreed to hold the next Tripartite Summit in the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the invitation of President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, H.E. Hassan Rouhani, as soon as possible.

MH/PA