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Moscow, Tehran stress need for uncompromising struggle against terrorists in Syria

MOSCOW, August 15 /TASS/. Moscow and Tehran stand for maintaining truce in Syria and uncompromising struggle against the Islamic State (IS) and Jebhat al-Nusra terrorist groups (which are banned in Russia -TASS), the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday after talks between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian president’s envoy for the Middle East and Africa, and Iran’s senior Foreign Ministry officials held in Tehran.

Bogdanov held a regular round of consultations with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari and was received by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

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"It was stated that there was no forcible solution to the prolonged and destructive crisis in Syria which can be settled only by political means via an inclusive inter-Syrian dialogue based on the Geneva Communique adopted on June 30, 2012 and the decisions of the International Syria Support Group," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"In this connection, the sides said it was necessary for UN Special Envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura to put in energetic efforts to arrange sustainable inter-Syrian talks in Geneva without preliminary conditions as soon as possible," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"Moscow and Tehran confirmed their stances in favor of preserving and strengthening the regime of cessation of hostilities in Syria through uncompromising struggle against the Islamic State, Jabhat Fath al-Sham (formerly Jebhat al-Nusra) and other terrorist groups, which are not covered by the ceasefire regime," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Bogdanov and Iran’s Foreign Ministry officials discussed the situations in Yemen, Iraq, the Persian Gulf as well as the Palestinian problem.

"The consultations revealed great mutual interest in deepening cooperation between the Russian and Iranian Foreign Ministries on the Middle East agenda," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russia-Iran-Turkey talks

Bogdanov has also discussed a possibility to hold consultations on regional problems in the Russia-Iran-Turkey format.

"The option was discussed to hold trilateral meetings of Russia, Iran and Turkey at a certain stage if our Turkish partners show interest," Bogdanov, told Tass.

"Exactly the way we held in due time meetings in a trilateral format of Russia, Iran and Syria, we had such a format," said Bogdnaov.

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Foreign policy Islamic State Syrian conflict

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