(First edition published at 18:30)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 22
By Fatih Karimov – Trend:
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said there is no excuse for foreign countries to remain in Syria without permission of Syrian government.
The Iranian president made the remarks during a trilateral meeting with his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Russia’s Sochi on Nov. 22, the Iranian state-run IRINN TV reported.
The meeting was aimed at discussing the results of Syria peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, and the beginning of a political process within Syria.
The achievements in the fight against terrorism in Syria as well as future steps to be taken to bring about sustainable stability in the country were also on the agenda of the meeting.
Iran, Russia and Turkey are the main guarantors of the Syria peace talks in Astana.
Rouhani said the main foundations of the the "Islamic State" terrorist group (IS aka ISIS/ISIL) have collapsed, but the fight against terrorism is not yet over.
He added that fighting against terrorism is necessary in Syria until eradicating all its cells in the country.
The Iranian president further said that grounds are prepared for political settlement in Syria.
The Syrian national sovereignty should be respected, Rouhani said, adding that interference of foreign powers in the country would not be legitimate.
Those who created, funded the IS terrorist group in the Middle East will face repercussions of terrorism, the Iranian president said.
He also said the Islamic Republic will stand against “plots” to create split in the Middle East.
Iran is acting based on UN regulations to ensure stability and security of the region, Rouhani said, adding that Iran is serious in fighting against terrorism.
He further called on international community to focus on alleviating the suffering of Syrian people and reconstruction of the country.