According to the Nova agency, there is great anticipation for the trilateral summit on Syria to be held today in Sochi, Russia, and which will be attended by the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey, respectively Vladimir Putin, Hassan Rohani and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The meeting was preceded by a meeting held yesterday, also in Sochi, of the chiefs of staff of the three countries - respectively Valerij Gerasimov, Mohammad Baqeri and Hulusi Hakar - who discussed recent developments in Syria. According to reports from the Iranian news agency "Irna", during the meeting the three chiefs of staff examined the situation in Syria in the light of the agreements reached during the peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. The officials also discussed the ongoing situation in the four security zones in Syria and compliance with the ceasefire between the various Syrian factions. The fight against terrorism and the victories against the Islamic State are also at the center of the talks.
The latest developments in the Middle East region, in particular the announcement by Iran and its Shiite allies of the defeat of the Islamic State on a territorial level, make today's summit a meeting of fundamental importance for understanding the positions of strength in Syria and in 'Iraq post-Is, which see Russia and the Shiite axis ahead. In Syria, the victory against the self-styled caliphate in Al Bukamal by the army and the pro-Iranian militias supported by the Russian air force, and the greater possibilities of controlling the territory, have placed in the background the recapture of Raqqa by the Syrian Democratic Forces (Sdf), the Kurdish-Arab fighters supported by the United States, an episode with a high symbolic value, but which presents strong uncertainties in the war economy, given the pressure against the Kurdish-Syrian forces by Turkey in northern Syria, by the army of Assad himself and also by the Iraqi forces that now control the border areas of Iraq with Syria and Turkey previously in the hands of the Kurdish Peshmerga guerrillas.
In Iraq, the support of the International Coalition Against the Islamic State has allowed the United States to maintain a role in the area, but the absence of men on the ground, except for military advisers, and the weakening of the Kurdish Peshmerga after the chaos following the referendum on the independence of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, it increased the decisive role of the Popular Mobilization Units, mostly Shiite militias, and therefore the role of the pro-Iranian forces.
The trilateral summit on Syria was marked by the visit to Sochi by President Bashar al Assad. Welcoming the Syrian head of state, Putin congratulated "for the results achieved by Syria in combating terrorist groups", adding that the Syrian people "have faced very difficult challenges" and that "the inevitable and definitive defeat of the terrorists ". According to Assad, the Russian Aerospace Forces helped promote a political solution to the Syrian crisis. "I am very happy to meet you two years and a few weeks after Russia launched the operation, which was very successful," said the Syrian president, admitting that "this mission has promoted a political solution for Syria" and that "Russia has contributed to this process in various directions, especially on the basis of respect for the UN Charter which supports the sovereignty and independence of any state," Assad said.
“During this period, important successes have been achieved, both on the battlefield and in political terms. Several areas of Syria were liberated by terrorists, and Syrian citizens who had been forced to leave these areas were able to return there, ”the Syrian president added. Putin expressed his hope that the fight against terrorism in Syria could end in the near future. “There are several problems dictated by terrorism around the world, in the Middle East and, in particular, in Syria. But the main goal has been achieved and we will soon be able to say that we have chased it away, ”Putin said. With Assad, Putin also discussed the organization of a Syrian People's Congress in Sochi, listening to his "assessments" on the current state and prospects of the situation on the ground. The political process that, according to the Russian president, can take place are the wishes of the UN which will be actively involved in all activities. "I think the most important thing is, of course, to move to a political process," Putin said, expressing "satisfaction" that Assad said he was "ready to work with all those who want peace".
In this context, Assad hoped that Russia will support the Damascus authorities to ensure that there is no interference in the political process in Syria. "External influences should be limited to supporting the process which should be led by the Syrians themselves," Assad said, further thanking Putin for "saving Syria as a sovereign state". The Russian head of state underlined in this sense the importance of the safety zones that have paved the way for a comprehensive dialogue with the opposition. “Thanks to the Astana dialogue process we have created the safety zones, which for the first time served to initiate a concrete and profound dialogue with the opposition,” Putin said. The talks between the two presidents lasted about four hours according to the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitrij Peskov, and addressed - as emerged from the talks - different issues related to the current crisis in Syria.