Russia, Iran, Turkey agree on protecting Syria integrity, fighting terror: Lavrov

In an address to Russia's Federation Council, the upper house of the parliament, on Friday, Lavrov hailed the intra-Syrian peace talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, as a successful example of cooperation between Russia, Iran and Turkey to resolve the Syria conflict.

"As the president [of Russia Vladimir Putin] has stated many times, our (the three states') goals and interests do not fully coincide,...our countries have different approaches to various aspects of the Syria issue, [but] we stand together when it comes to the need to defeat terrorism, preserve Syria's territorial integrity and harmonize relations between all of its ethnic and religious groups," he said.

"These common interests ensure consistent and effective activities on the Astana platform," the top Russian said, referring to the intra-Syrian peace process underway in the Kazakh capital with the mediation of Russia, Iran and Turkey.So far, seven rounds of the Astana talks have brought representatives from Syria's warring sides to the negotiating table in a bid to end the foreign-backed militancy in the Arab country, which broke out in March 2011.

Lavrov further emphasized that he was is sure that the last remnants of the Daesh terrorist groups will be defeated completely in Syria.Backed by Iranian military advisors and Russian airpower, the Syrian armed forces managed to free their entire homeland from the Daesh terror group last month.

In late November, the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey, which are acting as the guarantors of the Syria ceasefire, met in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

They reaffirmed their strong commitment to Syria's sovereignty, independence and unity and agreed to hold the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi aimed at bringing together the opposite factions in Syria for peace talks.