President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad had agreed to attend peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana to try to resolve the conflict in Syria.

Putin said the evacuation of Aleppo would not have been possible without the help of Russia, Iran and Turkey or the good will of Al Assad. He said the next step for Syria would be a nationwide ceasefire.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said earlier on Friday he expected the talks in Astana to take place in the middle of January.

Putin said the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey won’t hurt Russia’s relations with Ankara.

Speaking at an annual news conference, Putin said the murder of Andrei Karlov was an attempt to spoil relations between Moscow and Ankara

Karlov was shot in the back and killed as he gave a speech at an Ankara art gallery on December 20.

Putin said the recapture of the devastated city of Aleppo by Syrian regime forces was a “very important” step towards stabilising the war-torn country.

“The liberation of Aleppo from radical elements is a very important part of the normalisation in Syria, and I hope, for the region overall,” Putin told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in a meeting, the Kremlin said.

The Syrian army said late on Thursday that it had retaken full control of Aleppo, scoring its biggest victory against opposition forces since the civil war erupted in 2011.

The Kremlin strongman said that after the ouster of rebels from Aleppo, Moscow will now look to end fighting across the country.

“Everything needs to be done for fighting to stop on all Syrian territory,” Putin said.

“In any case, we will strive toward this.”

Moscow has been conducting a bombing campaign in Syria in support of long-time ally Al Assad since September 2015 and has taken steps to boost its presence in the country.

Russia forged a deal with Turkey — which supports groups seeking to topple Al Assad — that saw rebel fighters and civilians leave Aleppo.

The Kremlin said Friday that Putin had signed an order to expand Russia’s naval facility in the Syrian city of Tartus and allow Russian warships into Syrian waters.

Russia’s defence ministry said in October that Moscow was poised to transform the Tartus facility into a permanent base, without providing a timeline for its transformation.

Putin that month approved a law ratifying Moscow’s deal with Damascus to deploy its forces in the country indefinitely, firming Russia’s long-term presence in the country.

Russia’s bombardment of Aleppo saw the West levelling accusations of war crimes that stung the Kremlin and further strained its fragile relations with the West

source : gulfnews