Russia, Turkey, Iran urged to take the role

Finland considers the situation in Syria still very difficult and has urged Russia, Turkey and Iran to take up the role of guarantors of the ceasefire that entails actions to calm down situations.

The Finnish President and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy during a discussion on the current situation in Syria on Friday made the observation and the move, said a government press release.

The meeting considered it important that the political negotiations concerned should continue in Geneva led by the UN Special Envoy for Syria.

“The situation in Syria, however, is still very difficult. The country-wide ceasefire agreement, which came into effect at the end of 2016, has not held. Finland urges Russia, Turkey and Iran, as the guarantors of the ceasefire, to take action to calm the situation,” the meeting observed.

It also stressed ensuring access to humanitarian aid.

The topics discussed at the meeting also included preparations for an international conference on Syria in Brussels on 5 April, which is part of the series of pledging conferences for Syria.

The meeting also discussed the upcoming visit of People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping, the current situation in Russia, bilateral relations between Finland and Russia, and Finland’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council, among other things.