Speaking to the Al-Watan newspaper, Yefimov said the meeting was scheduled for this Monday, April 10, but it was postponed until the beginning of May, and stressed that contacts and consultations between the parties involved continue to achieve positive results in this sense.
The path to normalize relations between Syria and Türkiye is long and all issues cannot be resolved in one or more rounds of negotiations, but we are advancing in this direction step by step, the diplomat acknowledged.
He expressed optimism about the possibility of reaching positive results.
Syrian Vice Foreign Minister Ayman Sousan had announced that the reestablishment of relations with Türkiye has certain requirements that must be met, including the unconditional withdrawal from national territory, cooperation to fight terrorism and non-interference in Syria’s internal affairs.
He described as a key element to achieve this reconciliation the full commitment to sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of Syria, and to stop providing support and protection to radical groups.
Russia and Iran are making efforts for reconciliation between Syria and Türkiye, two neighbors whose relations have been interrupted since the start of the war in this Levantine nation in 2011.
On April 3, Moscow hosted a quadrilateral meeting between the vice-foreign ministers of Iran, Russia, Türkiye and Syria, while at the end of last December, a meeting was held between the Syrian Defense Ministers, Ali Mahmoud Abbas; and from Türkiye, Hulusi Akar.
ef/jha/fm