Cease-fire in Idlib, Syria generally respected: Russia

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The cease-fire enforced in Idlib, northwestern Syria, thanks to Russia and Turkey’s agreement is being generally respected, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

"Recently, we have managed to overcome a dangerous rise of tensions in the Idlib de-escalation zone,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press conference in Moscow.

“This was made possible thanks to the agreements reached during the meeting between Russian and Turkish presidents on March 5 in Moscow."

She said the additional protocol to the Russian-Turkish memorandum brought an end to clashes along the contact line in Idlib.

"We hope that this will help achieve sustainable stabilization in Idlib, improve the humanitarian situation, and, consequently, allow internally displaced persons to return to their places of permanent residence," Zakharova added.

She said the Russian and Turkish defense ministries are in regular contact to ensure effective implementation of the cease-fire agreement.

She added that the situation in northeast Syria was generally stable, thanks to another Russian-Turkish memorandum signed on Oct. 22, 2019.

Turkey and Russia’s presidents also held a phone conversation on Thursday in which they acknowledged a significant decrease in tensions in Idlib, following the cease-fire agreement reached last week.

According to a statement by the Kremlin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of joint efforts, primarily through the Russian and Turkish defense ministries, to ensure stability in the region.

"It was agreed to continue to maintain regular dialogue at various levels, including personal contacts," the statement added.

The cease-fire in Idlib, which came into effect after midnight last Thursday, was agreed by Turkey and Russia after bilateral talks and meetings in Moscow that lasted over six hours.

Under the deal, all military activities were to end there, along with the establishment of a security corridor 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) to the north and south of the key M4 highway.

Joint Turkish-Russian patrols will also begin on March 15 along the highway from the settlement of Trumba – 2 km (1.2 miles) to the west of Saraqib – to the settlement of Ain al-Havr, under the deal.

On Wednesday, President Erdogan warned that Turkey will respond heavily if its observation posts in Idlib are targeted.

“Turkey will do more than mere retaliation if its observation posts in Idlib are targeted,” he told ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party deputies at a meeting in the capital Ankara.