The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran hailed the planned US withdrawal from Syria as they met for talks Thursday on how to work more closely together in the country's long-running conflict.
Hosting his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in the southern city of Sochi, President Vladimir Putin said the three welcomed the expected US pull-out from northeastern Syria.
It would be "a positive step that would help stabilise the situation in this region, where ultimately the legitimate government should re-establish control," he told a joint press conference after the talks.
Russia and Iran -- who both back the regime of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad -- and rebel supporter Turkey have positioned themselves as key foreign players in Syria's long-running war.
The United States has had troops in Syria backing Kurdish-led forces fighting the Islamic State group but President Donald Trump issued an abrupt order in December to pull out all 2,000.
The Kurdish-led fighters were on Thursday battling to expel IS jihadists from the small town of Baghouz in eastern Syria, the last bastion of their "caliphate" that once controlled large parts of the country.
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Putin said Thursday's talks were "constructive and business-like" and that "close coordination" was crucial to ensuring long-term stability in Syria.
He said the three leaders agreed to "strengthen cooperation" in the so-called Astana framework -- a process initiated by Russia, Iran and Turkey that has eclipsed parallel peace talks led by the United Nations.
They also agreed to work together to put together a constitutional committee that would work to resolve Syria's political future, Putin said, adding that another round of talks would take place in Astana in late March and early April.
Rouhani said Thursday's talks were "very helpful and frank" and insisted on Syria's territorial integrity, calling for a "purge of terrorists" from the rebel-held northwestern province of Idlib.
He also suggested he did not believe the US was planning to withdraw from Syria.
"We have no optimism about what the Americans say... but if they do withdraw, it will be very good news." - 'Important we work together' -