The three-way statement - by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Iran's Hassan Rouhani - also showed concerns over any vacuum caused by President Donald Trump's decision to pull out troops after battles against the Islamic State in Syria's northeast.

"It is our joint view that the [U.S. withdrawal] is a positive move that will help stabilize this part of Syria, where legitimate government control should eventually be restored," Putin said after the trio met for the latest round of Kremlin-initiated talks aimed at finding a way to end the eight-year conflict.

Trump has reversed course on his initial statement in December that U.S. troops would withdraw immediately, later saying that the exit depended on liberating the final pocket of territory controlled by Islamic State. This week, hundreds of people poured out of the area as it became increasingly clear the militants were facing defeat.

The top U.S. commander in the Middle East said this week that the pullout will happen in a matter of weeks, although U.S. officials also want to commit to negotiating a handover agreement before.

Putin said he had not seen any signs on the ground in Syria to suggest that Washington was withdrawing, adding that Trump does not always deliver on his campaign promises.

"The current domestic political situation is such that [Trump] cannot always fulfill his goals . . . But we work on the belief that [the withdrawal] will happen," Putin said.

The three leaders said they agreed to hold their next round of Syria talks in Turkey in April.

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