Politics
21:28, 31-Jan-2018
Putin, Erdogan 'satisfied' with Sochi Syria congress
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On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed "satisfaction" with the results of a Syria peace congress, the Kremlin said.
"The heads of state expressed satisfaction with the results of the Congress of Syrian National Dialogue held in Sochi on Jan. 30," the Kremlin said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Russia hosted a Syria peace congress in an effort to find a peace settlement after seven years of war, but the conference closed without a significant breakthrough after a string of boycotts and last-minute cancellations.
Nevertheless, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said delegates had agreed to the formation of a committee to discuss the war-torn country's post-war constitution.
The Kremlin statement said Putin and Erdogan "emphasized the importance of the agreements" reached at Sochi, adding they were aimed at finding a solution based on a UN Security Council's resolution.
The presidents also spoke of the "further coordination of Russia and Turkey's efforts to ensure the stable functioning of de-escalation zones" in Syria established by Turkey, Iran and Russia last year.
Around 1,400 delegates attended the meeting, as part of a broader push by regime-backer Moscow to consolidate its influence in the Middle East.
Source(s): AFP