Sergey Lavrov Addresses Representatives of Syria, Turkey, and Iran

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the representatives of Syria, Turkey, and Iran ahead of the start of a quadrilateral meeting in Moscow, reports Vesti. Consultations between Russia, Iran, Syria, and Turkey were held in Moscow at the deputy ministerial level on April 3-4. The aim of the meetings is to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus.

According to the chief diplomat of Russia, all participants of the Russia-Iran-Syria-Turkey quadrilateral consultations should demonstrate flexibility, as the process of normalizing Turkish-Syrian relations will take time. The text of the address was published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website on Tuesday.

“I would like to address the Turkish and Syrian negotiators separately. We expect you to show maximum flexibility and constructiveness. It might be better to leave confrontational rhetoric and memories of past grievances outside the negotiating room,” Lavrov said.

Sergey Lavrov urged for discussions to begin based on the clear and understandable principle of mutual respect for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria and Turkey, driven by the desire to quickly overcome accumulated issues and restore friendship.

“There are texts submitted by the delegations, and I am confident that on their basis, it is possible to reach a collective position,” noted the Russian Minister, “The main thing is to find common ground to balance interests and avoid preconditions...”

Russia has already proposed a date for a meeting at the ministerial level among all consultation participants, Interfax reports.

“I eagerly await your agreement on the date for the meeting in Moscow with my friends and colleagues, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, and Faisal Mikdad. We have suggested some timeframes that could be generally acceptable following your negotiation phase,” Lavrov stated.