Germany calls on Russia to put pressure on Assad regime

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

Germany has called on Russia to put pressure on the Bashar al-Assad regime to achieve progress on the Syrian peace process.

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin on Friday, Maria Adebahr, German Foreign Ministry’s deputy spokeswoman, has welcomed the results of Syria summit held in Russia's coastal city of Sochi on Wednesday.

“If the summit in Sochi would give a momentum to the political process and achieve progress, of course we would welcome that,” she said.

But Adebahr also voiced Berlin’s skepticism, saying the Assad regime did not take serious steps so far in the political process.

“Of course we also hope that Russia would exert its influence here,” she stressed.

Presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran met in Sochi on Wednesday and agreed on a number of key issues, to achieve a political solution to the civil war in Syria.

The three guarantor countries announced that they will back formation of Syrian National Dialogue Congress, and reaffirmed commitment to sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria.