Putin arrives in Iran for Syria summit with Erdogan, Raisi

Tehran, Jul 19 (EFE).- Russia’s president Vladimir Putin on Tuesday arrived in Iran for a summit on Syria with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts Ebrahim Raisi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Alongside taking part in the seventh summit under the Astana format, Putin is expected to hold separate meetings with Erdogan and Raisi.

The summit will seek to end the Turkish offensive in northern Syria launched by Erdogan in June.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Iran’s National Oil Company and the Russian Gazprom signed a $40 billion memorandum.

Facing harsh sanctions imposed by the West and the United States, Russia and Iran have recently reiterated their intention to expand their bilateral ties in all economic and political fields.

Putin’s visit comes three days after the conclusion of US President Joe Biden’s Middle East tour that aimed to further integrate Israel with its neighbors and mobilize regional pressure on Iran and Russia. EFE

ar/ta/mp