Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (C) meets with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari (L) in Damascus, December 22, 2016.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the recent recapture of the strategic northwestern city of Aleppo from foreign-backed terrorists is a victory not just for his country, but also for its Russian and Iranian allies.
Assad made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari and his accompanying delegation in Damascus on Thursday.
Aleppo’s liberation “is also a relapse for all the countries that are hostile towards the Syrian people and that have used terrorism as a means to realize their interests,” he said
The Syrian head of state also hailed the battlefield successes as a “basic step on the road to ending terrorism in the whole of Syrian territory and creating the right circumstances for a solution to end the war.”
Jaberi Ansari, for his part, briefed Assad on the ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending terrorism in Syria, particularly the recent trilateral meetings between Iranian, Russian and Turkish officials.
He further noted that the strategic Tehran-Damascus relations have helped reinforce the two countries as well as other regional nations in the face of foreign plots.
The senior Iranian diplomat also highlighted Tehran’s determination to further strengthen relations with Syria and help the Arab nation stand against terrorism.
Syria announced the full liberation of Aleppo on December 15, with Assad praising the victory as “history in the making and worthy of more than the word ‘congratulations’.”
‘Assad’s fate not under discussion’
In another development on Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was not discussing the future of President Assad in its talks with Iran and Turkey.
After the mid-December liberation of Aleppo, Tehran, Moscow and Ankara held a round of trilateral discussions in Moscow, where the trio agreed to help find a political solution to the crisis in Syria.
In a joint statement issued following the talks, the three sides welcomed concerned efforts in eastern Aleppo, which had been controlled by foreign-backed militants since 2012, allowing for voluntary evacuation of civilians and organized departure of the armed opposition.
Iran and Russia support the Syrian government in the fight against terrorism. Moscow has been providing air cover for the Syrian army’s counterterrorism operations on the ground since September 2015.
Tehran has also been offering advisory assistance to Syrian armed forces.
This is while Ankara, along with its Western and regional allies, is a staunch supporter of the militants operating to topple the Damascus government since March 2011.
Ankara and its partners have long been seeking the ouster of Assad as part of any solution to the conflict in Syria.
Source: http://presstv.com/Detail/2016/12/22/501985/Syria-Aleppo-Bashar-Assad