MESOP NEWS “PHONE CALLS” Rouhani Confers Again With Putin Over Syria

EAST KURDISTAN (IRAN) – December 25 – 2016 – Iran’s President Rouhani has conferred with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone, their third discussion about the Syrian crisis within a month.

Saturday’s conversation followed the completion of the removal of civilians and rebels from opposition-held areas in Syria’s largest city Aleppo. On Tuesday, Foreign and Defense Ministers of Iran, Russia, and Tehran met in Moscow to discuss the next steps in the 69-month conflict. Russia and Iran have propped up Syria’s Assad regime since the start of the uprising in March 2011. Turkey has been a long-time supporter of the Syrian opposition and rebels; however, this summer it apparently struck a deal with Moscow, allowing pro-Assad forces to reoccupy all of Aleppo city while a Turkish military intervention alongside rebels claimed much of Aleppo Province from the Islamic State.

No details were given of the Rouhani-Putin discussion on Saturday, with Iranian media putting out the line that they “stressed the importance of developing cooperation to help the resumption of dialogue and negotiations to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria”.

Turkish and Russian officials announced on Friday that the three countries will hold a summit in Kazakhstan next month. www.mesop.de