Turkey, Russia and Qatar are making a joint attempt to foster a political solution to Syrian conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Thursday.
“Today we launched a new trilateral consultation process. Our goal is to discuss how we can contribute to efforts towards a lasting political solution in Syria”, state-run Anadolu agency cited Çavuşoğlu as saying after talks in Doha with his Russian and Qatari counterparts.
All three ministers emphasised that the only solution to the conflict was a political settlement in line with United Nations resolutions, Çavuşoğlu said.
While Russia has provided military support to Syrian regime’s forces, Turkey and Qatar supported rebel fighters who set out to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his regime.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow didn’t seek to undo what Russia, Turkey and Iran built together under the Astana format for a political solution in Syria, Anadolu agency said.
The 15th International Meeting on Syria within the Astana format was held on February 16 and 17 in the Sochi Resort at Russia’s Black Sea coast.
“I can only welcome Qatar’s desire to make its contribution to creating the conditions for overcoming the current tragic situation in Syria,” Lavrov said.
The three ministers also stressed their commitment to preserving Syria’s independence and territorial integrity, Anadolu agency said.
Çavuşoğlu said Turkey would host the next round of talks.
Ahval