With the escalation of tension between Damascus and Ankara these days, the Syrian crisis has once again entered a new phase and some believe that the “Astana Process” which was introduced by Iran is under threat.
It should be noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran begun its fight against terrorism at the request of the legal government in Damascus. The result of this resistance gave rise to the Astana peace process, which according to Iranian officials is the only solution available to lower the tensions in Syria.
Western countries had reached the Geneva agreement regarding Syria, however, the Islamic Republic sought to propose a solution that not only helps the Syrian crisis but also resolves regionals issues and returns stability and security to the West Asian region.
The message of Astana Process was resolving the Syrian crisis without the US
The main goal of the Astana Process was to secure a ceasefire and find a political solution for the Syrian opposition and the legal government of Damascus. Moreover, Iran, Turkey, and Russia tried to show that the Syrian crisis and in general international issues can be resolved without the US.
Although the peace process led to the de-escalation of tension in Syria and the recognition of its government, the survival of the process is occasionally questioned due to some measures such as Turkish military aggression.
About a month and a half ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to the measures taken by Damascus against terrorists and told reporters that the Astana Process was dead and not working anymore.
Astana Process is the only solution for the Syrian crisis: Mousavi
Referring to Erdogan’s remarks, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi said, “The Islamic Republic maintains that Astana Process is the only solution to regional problems, especially the Syrian crisis and believes that this process can be applied both for ending the war in Syrian and other issues."
After the attempts made by Damascus to retake some parts of the Syrian territory from the oppositions, Ankara launched a series of attacks against the Syrian army which left a number of servicemen dead from both sides.
This led to a new phase in the Syrian crisis and Tehran, as the initiator of the Astana Process to resolve the nine-year issue, once again started diplomatic negotiations with Turkey and Russia in this regard.
President Hassan Rouhani held separate phone conversations with his Russian and Turkish counterparts and reportedly invited them to Tehran for the next Astana Process Summit.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif pointed to the process and noted, “Currently, it is Iran’s turn to host the Astana Process Summit. We still believe that this is the only process that can lead to a de-escalation of tension and bring stability to the region.”
Astana Process is the result of Lt. Gen Soleimani’s resistance
It should be noted that the Astana process is originally introduced by Iran and is the product of Martyr Soleimani’s resistance and intelligence both in the battlefield and the political and diplomatic circles.
Everybody knows that if it was not for Lt. General Soleimani’s fight against terrorism and his negotiations with Vladimir Putin regarding the complicated situation in West Asia and the conspiracies of the US, there would be no achievements in Syria.
Lt. Gen Soleimani turned military victories into political success
Referring to the qualities of Martyr Soleimani, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that, “Lt. General Soleimani was both a strong military commander and a political and a diplomatic figure. His diplomacy with Russia was very successful and we had close collaborations.”
CBS News correspondent Holly Williams once referred to the intelligence of Lt. General Soleimani and noted, “Many of Soleimani's enemies admitted he was a military genius.”
But in addition to this military genius, he had a deep understanding of international relations. His diplomacy countered the conspiracies of the Zionist Regime and Arab Petrodollars and ended the crisis in Syria. All of these have been achieved due to his military and political intelligence.
It has been two months since the assassination of Lt. General Soleimani by US terrorist forces. Washington and some of its regional allies assumed that they could carry out their dead-end plot in his absence, but his path has become a school of thought which will continue in the future.
MNA/4870723