Iran Considers Model Of Syrian Peace Process Successful - Parliament Speaker

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published October 14, 2019 | 06:10 PM

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2019) The model of the peace process in Syria is very successful, primarily when it comes to the Astana process, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani said on Monday during his meeting with the speaker of Russia's lower house, Valentina Matviyenko.

Talks between Larijani and Matviyenko took place on the sidelines of the 141st Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), currently underway in the Serbian capital city of Belgrade.

"I think that the model - the settlement of the situation in Syria - is very successful. Especially when it comes to the Astana process, it too proceeds successfully," Larijani said.

The Iranian lawmaker emphasized the high level of trust between the leadership of Iran and Russia and expressed hope that "together, we will manage to restructure and change what was destroyed by the actions of [US President Donald] Trump."

Larijani concluded by inviting Matviyenko to visit Iran.

The agenda of the 141st Assembly from October 13-17 in Belgrade includes sessions of the IPU four standing committees - on peace and international security; on sustainable development, finance and trade; on democracy and human rights; and on UN affairs - as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and Forum of Young Parliamentarians.

The session in Belgrade will also feature the first discussion of a project declaration on parliamentary diplomacy, which is being worked out at Russia's initiative and which postulates the principle of non-interference in domestic affairs of sovereign states and non-acceptance of sanctions against lawmakers.

The civil conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011. In May 2017, the warring parties held talks in the Kazakh capital of Nur Sultan (then Astana) under the mediation of Russia, Iran and Turkey, and managed to conclude a ceasefire agreement and establish four de-escalation zones. Though in some parts of Syria the military action between the warring parties continues, the priority is now given to political settlement and return of refugees.