Iranian President Hassan Rouhani considered - during a hypothetical summit devoted to the file of Syria with his Russian and Turkish counterparts - that "there is no military solution" in Syria, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country's priority in Syria is to preserve its political unity and the sovereignty of its lands.
Rouhani said, "The Islamic Republic considers that the only solution to the Syrian crisis is political, and that there will be no military solution."
"We still support dialogue between the Syrian parties, and we confirm our determination to combat the terrorism of ISIS (Islamic State), Al Qaeda and other groups linked to them," he added.
"I stress that the fight against terrorism will continue until it is completely eradicated in Syria and the region in general," the Iranian president, whose government television broadcasts his remarks, continued.
He added that "the illegal presence of US forces in Syria must end immediately."
Rouhani was speaking at the beginning of three-way video talks with Russian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan, dedicated to Syria within the framework of the Astana process sponsored by the three countries.
The need for dialogue
For his part, the Russian President informed his Turkish and Iranian counterparts that there is a need for a peaceful dialogue between the warring parties in Syria. Putin also said that hotbeds of terrorism are still present in Idlib and elsewhere in Syria.
As for the Turkish President, he said that his country's priority in Syria is to preserve its political unity, territorial integrity and calm, in preparation for a permanent solution to the conflict in it.
He added that Ankara would continue to make efforts to bring security, stability and prosperity to Syria.
He noted that the Astana talks - which began in November 2017, have contributed significantly to peace, security and stability in Syria.
He pointed out that Turkey has stood with the Syrian people since the beginning of the crisis, and has hosted millions of Syrians without distinguishing between ethnic, religious and ideological identity.
He stressed that Turkey will continue to make every effort to ensure the return of security, peace and stability to Syria at an early date.
These talks are being held in the wake of a donors' conference organized by the European Union and the United Nations in Brussels, during which it raised $ 7.7 billion from the international community to help Syrian refugees.