Russia, Turkey and Iran promised on Tuesday to continue cooperating to “eliminate terrorists” in Syria and “advance” an agreement for the export of wheat and corn in Ukraine, after their respective presidents met in Tehran.
The three nations “reaffirmed their determination to continue their current cooperation in order to eliminate terrorist individuals, groups, projects and entities, and ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.”in a statement, according to the AFP news agency.
They also expressed “their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to Syria” as well as attempts to create “new realities on the ground under the guise of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-government initiatives.” and separatist agendas”.
The talks that Russian President Vladimir Putin held in Tehran with his counterparts from Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, and Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, focused on the conflict in Syria but also on the war in Ukraine and its impact on the World economy.
On his second foreign trip since Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin spoke with colleagues about a UN plan to unblock the outflow of Ukrainian grain.
“The meeting was useful and very instructive, we discussed key points of our coordination regarding Syria,” Putin said after the meeting, in a speech broadcast on Russian television, inviting his peers to visit Russia “before the end of year” to address the issue further.
NOW – Putin, Raisi, and Erdogan holding hands in Iran.pic.twitter.com/qQRx4VMist
—Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) July 19, 2022
He also stated that the following consultations on Syria, with the same so-called “Astana” model – which the three countries launched in 2017 and whose official objective is to bring peace to Syria – will probably be organized “before the end of the year”.
Putin said that he spoke with Erdogan on the issue of grain exports from Ukraine but he did not give details of how the discussions in this regard progressed.
Erdogan has been mediating between Russia and the West to unblock grain exports from Ukrainian ports across the Black Sea, blocked by the conflict in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion last February.
Also, Turkey has stayed out of sanctions against the Kremlin, despite the fact that as a NATO member it has fought Russia in several armed conflicts and sold drones to Ukrainian forces.
In a bilateral contact, Putin thanked Erdogan for his mediation to “advance” an agreement on Ukraine’s wheat and corn
“It is true that not all issues have been resolved yet, but there are movements, and that is a good thing,” the Russian president said.according to the Sputnik agency.
Erdogan praised what he described as “a very, very positive approach” by Russia during talks with Ukraine and Turkey last week in Istanbul, which culminated in a UN announcement of an agreement in principle on his plan.
The Russian Defense Ministry said last week that a “final document” to unblock grain exports from Ukraine would soon be ready.
The agreement would allow some 20 million tons of grain blocked in Ukrainian ports to leave through the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s grain blockade sent prices soaring for vital staples such as wheat and barley, and raised fears of a global food crisis.
On the other hand, Putin stressed that Moscow and Tehran “strengthened their international security cooperation and contributed significantly to the Syria deal” to pacify the country after a decade of war between the government and Islamist rebel groups.
Meanwhile, Raisi said he was confident that Putin’s visit will help expand bilateral cooperation on regional and global issues, according to the Iranian news agency IRNA.
Before Putin’s visit, The Iranian national oil company and Russia’s Gazprom signed an agreement to “analyze collaboration possibilities” in different areas such as the development of Iranian oil and gas fields “worth 40,000 million dollars.”
Putin also met with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who spoke of strengthening cooperation and also warned him of “the deceptions of the West.”
Russia, Turkey and Iran are major players in the war that has raged in Syria since 2011.
Putin and Raisi stress the need to preserve the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria
Details ?https://t.co/U3BenKFhgc pic.twitter.com/5sgil6vo79
– SANA in Spanish (@Agencia_Sana) July 19, 2022
Moscow and Tehran support the government of Bashar al Assad. Turkey supports rebels and, above all, fights Syrian Kurdish militias whom it sees as enemies.
Likewise, Erdogan was received by Raisi at the Saadabad Palace and then met with Khamenei, who warned him that a Turkish offensive in Syria would be “harmful” for the region, according to an official statement.
Iran and Turkey signed a series of preliminary agreements covering investment, diplomacy, media and businessamong other fields, and they promised to triple bilateral trade.
For Raisi, Erdogan’s visit is a “turning point” in their relations.
The Turkish president, for his part, called for solidarity in the fight against Kurdish militias.
“They are nuisances that disturb the tranquility of the countries where they are present,” Erdogan said.
Turkey plans to create a “security zone” of 30 kilometers on the border, and hopes to receive the go-ahead from Iran and Russia to launch an offensive in northern Syria against Kurdish militias.
The Turkish army, present in northern areas of the Syrian territory bordering Turkey, launched between 2016 and 2019 three major operations in Syria against Kurdish militias and now wants to launch another.
