Putin urges ‘compromise’ ahead of new Syria peace talks

SOCHI, Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that efforts to end Syria’s six-year war were entering “a new stage” ahead of a planned meeting of Syrian - tion leaders, warning both sides that compromise would be necessary.

The new talks should happen soon, Putin said after a summit with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a hobbled peace process.

process will not be simple, it will - sions from all parties, including Putin said after two hours of talks with Rouhani and Erdogan in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

- dent Bashar al-Assad appeared to endorse Putin’s call for a “congress” of regime and opposition figures, with a foreign ministry source telling the country’s SANA news agency that it “welcomes the closing statement.”

Opposition groups were gathered in Riyadh on Wednesday in - egation for talks, which Damascus has long demanded.

Riyadh, unwilling to drop their demand for Assad’s departure, it was unclear if the effort sponsored by Staffan de Mistura, the UN’s Syria Adel al-Jubeir would succeed.

But Putin said the coming meeting in Sochi would be a “stimulus” for the stalled despite numerous rounds.

He added that there was a “real chance” to end Syria’s war, which monitors say has killed more than 330,000 people.

Shifting stances?

Russia claims credit for more or less ending the military conflict carrying out war crimes, including the bombing of hospitals.

Past negotiations sponsored by Russia, Iran and Turkey in the Kazakh capital Astana that brought together regime and opposition of four “de-escalation zones” that

The countries’ leaders agreed to call on regime and opposition parties to “participate in the Congress of Syrian national dialogue in Sochi in the near future,” a joint statement said.

remains to be decided, though Putin had discussed Syria with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, among other leaders, ahead of Wednesday’s summit.

loyal to Kremlin-allied strongman Assad, the US-backed Syrian Demo groups and rebel units.

- ries against the Islamic State group Damascus, Putin is hoping the timing is right after years of failed peace bids.

Moscow, Ankara and Tehran are now cooperating with increasing - els, at odds with Russia and Iran, - tion by Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) in the talks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei withdrawal of Riad Hijab, who stepped down as leader of the Saudibacked opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) ahead of the Riyadh talks, and other hardliners would “help the Syria-based and foreign-based opposition unite on a

And Assad himself, meeting with Putin earlier this week in Sochi, - ward on the talks.

“We don’t want to look back and we are ready for dialogue with all those who want to come up with a political settlement,” Assad said, according to translated comments.

De Mistura said he would ahead of the new round of UNbrokered peace talks set to open

“I’m always optimistic... especially in this moment,” he said.

Multiple rounds of talks hosted - to bear much fruit.