Syria, Turkiye Agree With Russia's Road Map Concept
ASTANA (Sputnik) - Following a meeting in Moscow on May 10, the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkiye, Syria and Iran gave orders to work on a draft road map. Deputy foreign ministers of the four countries met in Astana on June 20 to consider the issue.
Syria, Turkiye and Iran have agreed with the concept of a road map submitted by Russia to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus, Russia's special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told Sputnik.
«All parties generally agreed with the concept of a road map to advance the process of normalizing relations and expressed their views and proposals. Now they need to be systematized and coordinated," Lavrentyev said.
He said the process would take some time.
"The most important thing is that the process is moving forward, and there is progress. It cannot be delayed much, everyone agreed with this," Lavrentyev said.
Moscow has handed over to Ankara and Damascus a draft roadmap on the normalization of relations between Turkiye and Syria, Alexander added.
"After the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries [in May], the Russian side took upon itself the preparation of a draft for further approval. There is such a draft, it has been handed over to the concerned parties. It has been handed over to Turkiye, Damascus, the Iranian side has it," Lavrentyev said.
The draft can be amended, the diplomat said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier named the priority topics of the road map: restoring the Syrian government's control throughout the country, ensuring the security of the Syrian-Turkish border, eliminating the possibility of cross-border attacks or terrorist infiltration.
Moscow has evidence that the United States is building up its military contingent in Syria, Lavrentyev said.
"There is such information regarding the fact that the United States is reinforcing its military contingent in northeastern Syria, as well as in Al-Tanf, which has been illegally occupied by them [Americans] for quite a long time," Lavrentyev said.
This may be due to "the tightening of the US position in relation to Damascus itself and attempts to make efforts to further destabilize the situation in Syria," the diplomat said.
