Russia, Iran and Turkey on Wednesday adopted a joint statement on Syria after a video teleconference of the leaders of Astana process guarantor countries, the Kremlin press service said.

The presidents of the three countries discussed the current situation on the ground in Syria, reviewed the developments since their last meeting on Sept. 16, 2019, in Ankara, and confirmed their determination to enhance the trilateral coordination in light of their agreements, the joint statement said.

The three sides noted their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as to the goals and principles of the UN Charter, it said.

They 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, it added.

They 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, according to the statement.

They also expressed grave concern at the humanitarian situation in Syria and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling on the international community, particularly the UN and its humanitarian agencies, to increase their assistance to all Syrians without discrimination, politicization and preconditions.

The statement said that the presidents agreed to hold the next tripartite summit in Iran as soon as possible.

The process toward a peaceful settlement in Syria, also known as the Astana process, was launched in January 2017 by Russia, Iran and Turkey in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which has been renamed Nur-Sultan.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)