Russia, Iran, Turkey continuing joint work on Syria ceasefire: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara are continuing cooperation on consolidating a nation-wide ceasefire in Syria, adding that the trio are working on joint mechanisms to punish those violating the truce.

According to Press TV, Lavrov made the remarks at a news conference following a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on Friday.

Facilitated by Russia, Iran, and Turkey, the ceasefire took effect between Syria’s warring parties last December.

The three guarantor states have also mediated three rounds of peace negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition groups in Astana since the beginning of 2017. The fourth round is scheduled for May 3 and 4.

Russia is using the Astana process to strengthen the ceasefire regime, Lavrov said, adding, “Together with Turkey and Iran, we are developing joint mechanisms, which will not only register the violations of ceasefire agreements, but will also be able to respond to these violations, exert pressure on the violators.”

The Astana talks helped kick-start a series of peace talks for Syria that had been going on under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) but that had stalled for almost a year.

A preparatory meeting of experts from Russia, Iran and Turkey was held in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on April 18 and 19.

Following the meeting, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a press communiqué that the experts had discussed draft documents including those pertaining to the ceasefire regime and its implementation as well as those regarding the exchange of detainees and abductees.

“A delegation of experts from the UN joined the trilateral meetings as observers, bringing in invaluable expertise and technical assistance,” it read, adding that all participants in the Tehran meeting had agreed to hold the next expert-level meeting on May 2, one day before the Astana talks.

SS