Russian President Vladimir Putin has noted the importance of a Russian-Turkish-Iranian statement on Syria that voices support for the country's sovereignty and unity on the background of attempts to aggravate the confrontation there.
"We reached important agreements that are reflected in the final joint statement," he said after the completion of the Russian-Turkish-Iranian summit. "I'd like to note the firm commitment to the consolidation of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic that the document spells out."
"Position of this kind is particularly significant today on the background of attempts to aggravate the inter-ethnic and inter-religious tensions in Syrian society," Putin said.
He added that these attempts aimed "[…] to spilt the country into parts and to assure the potential for conflicts in the Middle East for many long years to come."
Syria's restoration
Syria’s restoration is hardly possible without huge capital investments, Putin said, adding that Moscow urges all countries to join the process.
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"Apart from political settlement it is necessary to make sure that people live in normal conditions, and nothing can be done without huge capital investments, particularly, from outside. We urge all countries of the world to be actively taking part in fact rather than in word," he said.
Almost no countries participate in providing humanitarian aid to Syria, except for Russia, Turkey and Iran, with only small supplies through the United Nations, the president noted. "But it is absolutely not enough, and it is definitely necessary to join common efforts on restoration of the Syrian economy, on infrastructure restoration," Putin added.
Infrastructure projects
Putin said that Russia, Iran and Turkey pay special attention to the post-conflict reconstruction of Syria. At the same time, Russia sees an opportunity to participate in infrastructure projects.
"We agreed to consolidate efforts for post-conflict reconstruction in Syria, primarily in the construction of social and infrastructure facilities," Putin told reporters.
Putin noted that Russian companies are already actively involved in such work, and a number of projects are being implemented in areas that only recently have seen militant activity.
Putin thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for organizing the meeting, as well as the official visit of the Russian President to Ankara on April 3. According to Putin, "the official visit was very successful," and the tripartite summit was "meaningful and productive."