MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. The situation on the ground in Syria has stabilized, with resurging flashpoints of terrorism being snuffed out, particularly due to the joint efforts of Russia, Turkey and Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Argumenty I Fakty weekly published in its Monday’s issue.
"Concerning the topic of Syria, it is important to note that thanks to the agreements with Ankara, both bilateral and in the format of the Astana ‘trio’ involving Iran, the most viable mechanism of crisis resolution has been created. The situation on the ground, including in the areas of recent fighting, has stabilized, with emerging flashpoints of international terrorism being choked off, including through our joint efforts. Moreover, Russia, Turkey and Iran have managed to consolidate various strata of Syrian society and organize work on that country’s future political system in the format of the Constitutional Committee," he said.
Presidential elections will be held in Syria on May 26. Three candidates - incumbent President Bashar Assad, former state minister and lawmaker Abdullah Salloum Abdullah, and a representative of the patriotic opposition Mahmoud Ahmad Mar’ai, are vying for the nation’s presidential office.