Russia, Iran to maintain close dialogue on Syria ahead of Astana talks
Russia and Iran have agreed to maintain close dialogue ahead of the forthcoming talks on the Syrian settlement in Kazakhstan’s Astana, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday after today’s meeting between Russian president’s envoy for the Middle East and African countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari, TASS reported.
"The sides continued a detailed and trust-based exchange of opinions on the current situation in the Middle East with a focus on invigoration of international efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria, including in the context of the agreements reached at the December 20, 2016 trilateral talks in Moscow between the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey.
They also discussed preparations for an international meeting on the Syria settlement due to be held in Astana and prospects for the resumption of inclusive intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva," the ministry said.
"The two diplomats stressed the importance of maintaining close dialogue between Moscow and Teheran on Syrian problems and on other current issues of the regional agenda," the ministry said.
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