Middle East

Syria Summit Kicks Off In Russia With Some Anti-Saudi Trolling

24/11/2017

Syria Summit Kicks Off In Russia With Some Anti-Saudi Trolling

“No need for empty words or gimmicks – including glowing orbs – when you’re actually working for peace and against terror.” – Iranian delegation
By Tyler Durden

While in Sochi, Russia for trilateral talks between Russia, Iran, and Turkey over the future of Syria, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has taken to Twitter for some serious trolling. As the first day of the summit concluded – a day preceded by a rare 4-hour visit to Russia by Syrian President Bashar Assad who met with Putin on Monday – Zarif stated, “No need for empty words or gimmicks – including glowing orbs – when you’re actually working for peace and against terror.”
The Iranian FM was of course referring to the unforgettable photo op which lit up the internet from Trump’s inaugural visit to Saudi Arabia last May wherein Trump along with Saudi King Salman and Egypt’s Sisi laid their hands on a strange glowing orb upon the opening of something called the “Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology” (no one knows what the center has accomplished since then).
In the lead up to the summit, Zarif explained that the Iranian delegation headed by President Rouhani would be “working with Turkish & Russian counterparts to build on ceasefire we achieved in Syria & preparing for inclusive dialog among Syrians. Irony is KSA accuses Iran of destabilization, while itself fuels terrorists, wages war on Yemen, blockades Qatar & foments crisis in Lebanon.”

Russia, Turkey, Iran meet on Syria at Sochi Summit

By Halil Celik
23 November 2017

Yesterday, the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran met at a summit in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi to discuss the future of Syria, as a military victory against the Islamic State (IS) and other Islamic forces is imminent.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued a joint statement calling on “representatives of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the opposition to constructively participate in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress.” The three presidents also restated their commitment to protecting “the national sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.”
Describing the talks as “constructive and businesslike,” Putin said the presidents “discussed in detail the basic aspects of the Syrian settlement and agreed to continue taking the most active efforts to solve the main task: to establish peace and stability in that country, preserve its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.”