PRESS RELEASE

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Russia Invites Saudis and Others To Join the Russia-Iran-Turkey Agreement on Syria

Dec. 22, 2016 (EIRNS)—During an interview with Rossiya 24 television, Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin urged other countries which have influence in Syria, including Saudi Arabia, to join the agreements just reached by Russia, Iran and Turkey, TASS reported today.

"In my opinion, it is very important that this statement contains an invitation for other countries that have influence on the ground to join such efforts,"

Churkin said. "It seems to me that it will be important for Saudi Arabia to take a similar position and work in this direction."

In Beijing, China’s President Xi Jinping, offering his condolences over the assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov, said:

"The Chinese side confirms the intention to develop further cooperation with Russia and the international community in fighting terrorism in interests of common security,"

TASS reported today.

At a tripartite meeting on Dec. 20 in Moscow, Russia, Turkey and Iran expressed their readiness "to act as guarantors for a new agreement on Syria," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, Gazeta.ru reported. Shoigu said "experts are working to finalize the text of the new document entitled, ’The Moscow Declaration of Immediate Steps To Promote the Settlement of the Syrian Crisis.’" If the agreements are reached, according to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that

"would promote the process of settling the Syrian crisis and create favorable conditions for political negotiations and humanitarian aid deliveries, at the same time ensuring zero tolerance towards terrorists,"

TASS reported on Dec. 20.