Amir-Abdollahian to take part in Moscow quadripartite meeting: Media

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Iranian media reported on Sunday that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will participate in a quadrilateral meeting of foreign ministers of Iran, Syria, Turkey, and Russia in Moscow.

According to the media, the meeting aimed at assisting the normalization of bilateral relations between Turkey and Syria will be held on May 10 in the Russian capital.

The Russian, Syrian, and Turkish defense ministers held talks in the Russian capital earlier in December 2022 where they discussed means of resolving the Syrian crisis.

Iran was also invited to participate in the negotiations, with Turkey previously announcing that it would be "pleased if Iran is involved in this process."

Earlier on Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Amir-Abdollahian would not be able to attend the Moscow meeting due to his busy schedule.

A couple of days ago, Cavusoglu highlighted in a television interview the importance of collaboration in battling terrorist organizations, claiming that Ankara has "no eye on Syrian territories."

When asked if Turkey will agree to remove its soldiers from northern Syria during the discussions, the Turkish minister indicated that such a move might be undertaken as a final step if Syria has achieved total stability.

In late April, the quadripartite meeting of the assistant foreign ministers of Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey took place in Moscow, as well as a separate meeting between the defense ministers of the four countries.

On April 25, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani asserted that one of the main objectives of the quadripartite summit in Moscow has been the joint Russian-Iranian efforts for the establishment of Syrian-Turkish normalization of ties.

Ashtani added that Iran is exerting strained efforts to forge direct contact between Syria and Turkey and encourages cooperation between the two nations.

He further stressed that Tehran has constantly worked hard to bring peace, stability, and security to the region, referring to Iran's participation in the quadripartite summit in Moscow.

"All countries in the region share the desire to counter terrorism in all of its manifestations, but this goal can only be reached through joint efforts, coordination, and cooperation," the Iranian minister pointed out.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said the defense ministers' meeting was held in a constructive atmosphere.

The war on Syria was waged in 2011 in which the Syrian forces were fighting terrorist groups backed by Western and regional powers. Since 2016, the Turkish armed forces have been also conducting air and ground operations in Syria against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Damascus has repeatedly called the presence of Turkish forces on the Syrian border illegal and urged Ankara to withdraw its troops.

Before the meeting, both Syrian and Turkish officials discussed key points to discuss regarding Syrian and Turkish-Syrian relations. 

The Syrian delegation had three essential points on its agenda:

- Ending the illegal Turkish presence on Syrian territory

- Non-interference in the Syrian internal affairs

- Combating terrorism in all its forms

The Turkish delegation had four main points to discuss on its agenda:

- Holding talks between the Syrian government with what it described as the "Syrian opposition"

- Ensuring the return of asylum seekers from Turkey to Syria

- Facilitating humanitarian aid to all Syrian areas

- Fighting against terrorism in the region

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