MOSCOW – Moscow, Ankara and Tehran are ready to be the guarantors of Moscow declaration on immediate steps in resolving the Syrian crisis, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday.
“Today experts are working on the text of the Moscow declaration on immediate steps toward resolving the Syrian crisis. This is a thorough, extremely necessary document,” Shoigu said at the meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Dehghan.
According to Shoigu, all previous “attempts to agree on joint efforts undertaken by the US or their partners were doomed.”
“None of them exerted real influence on the situation on the ground,” the defence minister added.
The approval of the Moscow declaration at the level of defense and foreign ministers shows a willingness to “act as guarantors and jointly resolve the urgent issues of the Syrian crisis,” the Russia Today quoted Shoigu as saying. “That’s why we support the adoption of this declaration.”
Russia stands for long-term and multifaceted Russian-Iranian cooperation in the military sphere, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, adding “our relations are distinguished by a high level of confidential political dialogue, a willingness to coordinate the approaches to a wide range of global and regional issues. We are in favor of long-term and multifaceted Russian-Iranian military cooperation.”
After the meeting, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan said that the coalition of Iran, Russia and Syria can influence the situation on the ground. “The conditions on the ground say that the coalition of Iran, Russia and the Syrian government has a very good influence on the situation due to coordination and measures we took earlier,” Dehghan said.
He also expressed his condolences in connection with the murder of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov yesterday.
“With regard to the tragedy in Turkey, I would like to express condolences,” Dehghan said.
Karlov was shot by a gunman at an art gallery exhibition opening in Ankara late on Monday. Doctors announced the ambassador’s death 40 minutes after his hospitalization. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it considers the attack a terrorist act.
Russian President Vladimir Putin termed the killing of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey ‘a despicable provocation aimed at derailing process for the solution of Syria crisis’.
“A crime has been committed and it was without doubt a provocation aimed at spoiling the normalization of Russo-Turkish relations and spoiling the Syrian peace process which is being actively pushed by Russia, Turkey, Iran and others,” said Putin.
However, it is hoped that the Moscow declaration will bring further stability in the relations between Russia and Turkey and also for the people of Syria.
Source: Sputnik, MNA
