The presidents of Russia, Turkey, and Iran are meeting in Tehran on Friday for the third trilateral summit to discuss the situation in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during the meeting in Tehran that terrorists in the rebel-held Syrian city of Idlib are preparing provocations involving chemical weapons.
“The remaining groups of extremists [in Syria] are currently concentrated in the de-escalation zone in the province of Idlib. Terrorists are making attempts to disrupt the ceasefire, moreover, they are carrying out and preparing various kinds of provocations, including using chemical weapons,” the Russian President stressed.
Merkel Agrees With Putin on Need to Fight Militants in Idlib — Reports
He also noted the significant progress in ensuring long-term normalization in Syria.
“I would like to note that the decisions of the two previous summits of the guarantor states of the Astana process are being successfully implemented, and significant progress has been achieved in ensuring long-term normalization in Syria,” Putin said.
The Russian President agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's proposal to declare a ceasefire in Syria's Idlib but underlined that it's impossible to talk for the groups that were not present at the meeting.
“There are no representatives of the armed opposition at the table and, moreover, of the Nusra Front* and Daesh*. I believe that the Turkish president is generally right, it would…
