Iran-Russia-Syria coordination allows to influence situation

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan said Tue. that the coalition of Iran, Russia and Syria can influence the situation on the ground.

"The conditions on the ground say that the coalition of Iran, Russia and the Syrian government has a very good influence on the situation due to coordination and measures we took earlier," Dehghan said at a meeting with Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday in Moscow.

He also expressed his condolences in connection with the murder of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov yesterday.

"With regard to the tragedy in Turkey, I would like to express condolences," Dehghan said.

Karlov was shot by a gunman at an art gallery exhibition opening in Ankara late on Monday. Doctors announced the ambassador's death 40 minutes after his hospitalization. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it considers the attack a terrorist act.

Also at the meeting, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia, Turkey and Iran are ready to act as guarantors of the Syrian crisis resolution as experts draft the text of the Moscow Declaration on the subject.

"Today, experts are working on the text of the Moscow Declaration on the immediate steps to promote the settlement of the Syrian crisis. This is a solid, much needed document," he said.

Shoigu underscored that the signing of the declaration by the defense and foreign ministers of the three countries "stipulates our readiness to act as guarantors and to jointly serve urgent issues of the Syrian settlement."

"Thus, we support the adoption of this declaration," Shoigu stressed.

Russia stands for long-term and multifaceted Russian-Iranian cooperation in the military sphere, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, adding "our relations are distinguished by a high level of confidential political dialogue, a willingness to coordinate the approaches to a wide range of global and regional issues. We are in favor of long-term and multifaceted Russian-Iranian military cooperation."