Turkish, Russian, Iranian deputy FMs meet in Moscow

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW

Turkish, Russian, and Iranian deputy foreign ministers Sedat Onal, Sergey Vershinin, and Hossein Ansari held talks on the future of Syria in Moscow on Tuesday.

After the meeting Vershinin told reporters that Moscow appreciated interaction in the Astana format, and the efforts of Turkey, Iran and Russia in Syria allowed to change the situation for the better.

"Among our major achievements are the reduction of the level of violence in Syria, a decisive victory over the terrorists and the creation of conditions for launching and accelerating the process of political settlement in the interests of all Syrians," he said.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.