28 Mar 2024
Wednesday 22 November 2017 - 18:48
Story Code : 284134

Russian, Iranian, Turkish Presidents to meet in Sochi: To end the Syrian game?



Sputnik News- On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin is set to host Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi. Moscow, Tehran and Ankara are sure that the days of Daesh are numbered and it is expected that moves towards a final political settlement of the conflict will top the agenda.




The presidents ofRussia, Turkey and Iran, the three countries which act asguarantors ofthe observance ofthe ceasefire Syria and Astana peace talks onthe settlement ofthe crisis, are set tomeet inSochi onWednesday.

After the tripartite meeting, Vladimir Putin is also scheduled tohold a separate meeting withIranian leader Hassan Rouhani.

Earlier inNovember, hehas already met withhis Turkish counterpartRecep Tayyip Erdogan inthe same city.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="751"]November 13, 2017. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) during the meeting November 13, 2017. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) during the meeting[/caption]

'Political Victory, Friendship and Recognition' What Each ofthe Three Leaders Wants toAchieve inSochi

Gevorg Mirzayan, an associate professor atthe political science department atthe Finance University ofthe Russian Government and RIA Novosti contributor suggested what the three presidents will try tonegotiate underthe warm skies ofRussia's Black Sea resort.

"Russia's position is quite evident: Vladimir Putin is there tofacilitate Russia's victory inSyria.And it is not abouta military win overDaesh (which it could be stripped offonly byan unlikely American invasion) butabout a political one. Russia needs toreach the soonest political compromise betweenthe Syrian groups (and their external backers) tobe able toget the status ofa state which can not only smash terrorists butact asan effective and impartial mediator insettling ofregional conflicts. In other words, the status, which, untilrecently, has been appropriated bythe US,"he writes inhis op-ed forRIA Novosti.

Turkish President Erdogan, he further elaborates, is "coming forfriendship."He needs Moscow's support not only inSyria butaround the whole world.

According toVladimir Avatkov, head ofthe Center forEastern Studies, International Relations and Public Diplomacy, Turkey is currently experiencing a decline inits relations withthe US and NATO, thus the Turkish leaders is coming forhis security aswell.

He is interested inthe comprehensive improvement ofhis relations withMoscow, namely inthe spheres ofarms trade (S-400 systems), nuclear and atomic cooperation (Akkuyu nuclear power plant) and inSyria, where he wants toweaken the Kurds.

Iranian President Rouhani, Mirzayan opines, is coming forrecognition.Tehran is convinced (and not withoutreason) that the major target ofthe Syrian war, which was unleased bythe West and the Gulf, was the seizing ofSyria fromIran's sphere ofinfluence. Now that Tehran has won, it does not want tolook forany compromises withthe defeated sides, withthe possible exception ofTurkey, which, moreover, is not that defeated.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="787"]President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani[/caption]

On Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared the defeat ofDaesh inIraq and Syria inhis televised address broadcast live. He stressed that although the remnants ofthe terrorists might continue operating, the roots and the basis ofthe organization have been destroyed.

A senior commander ofIran's Revolutionary Guards, Major General Qassem Soleimani, also hailed the defeat ofthe Islamist group.
Therefore, the Iranian leader noted, he is going toRussia todiscuss the future ofSyria and the region inthe post-Daesh era.


Ahead ofthe trilateral talksthe Russian leader has met withSyrian President Assadwho came toSochi withan unannounced visit onTuesday.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="795"]Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) welcomes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia November 20, 2017. Picture taken November 20, 2017 Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) welcomes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia November 20, 2017. Picture taken November 20, 2017.[/caption]


Commenting onthe result ofthe meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that it was necessary to "prepare the groundwork forpossible understandings" that could be reached inSochi onWednesday to "make sure" that agreements reached will be "viable" and "not hanging inthe air."


During his meeting withPresident Assad, Vladimir Putin was more cautious aboutthe defeat ofDaesh, noting that "the Syrian people are going throughvery difficult trials and are gradually approaching the final, unavoidable rout ofterrorists." He further expressed hope that the fight againstterrorism inthe country will conclude inthe very nearfuture.

Following the talks withthe Syrian leader,the Russian President held high-profile phone conversationswiththe heads ofthe US, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which prompted many analysts tosuggest that the violent conflict inSyria could finally be coming toan end.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="710"]Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir poses for a group photo during a Syrian opposition meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 22, 2017 Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir poses for a group photo during a Syrian opposition meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 22, 2017[/caption]

At the time ofthe tripartite talks inSochi, Saudi capital Riyadh is hosting the opponents ofthe legitimate Syrian authorities, ahead ofthe next roundof peace talks inGeneva (scheduled forNovember 28). These negotiations however will go withoutRiyad Hijab, the head ofthe High Negotiation Committee (HNC), the main representative ofthe Syrian opposition, who resigned onMonday.

UN Special Envoy forSyria Staffan de Mistura and Russian Presidential Envoy forSyria, Alexander Lavrentiev, are expected totake part inthe consultations.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="693"]Participants in a meeting of the Joint Operational Group of Russia, Turkey and Iran to control the ceasefire in Syria, held in Astana Participants in a meeting of the Joint Operational Group of Russia, Turkey and Iran to control the ceasefire in Syria, held in Astana[/caption]



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