Lavrov: Russian, Turkish forces in contact on Idlib

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia said on Monday that its military representatives in Idlib were in constant contact with their Turkish counterparts on developments on the ground in Syria's northwestern province.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters in Munich, Germany that Moscow would host a fresh round of talks between "interdepartmental delegations" of Russia and Turkey, in the hopes of de-escalating tensions.

"All the facts are on the table. Military representatives of both the Russian Federation and Turkey, who are on the ground in Syria, in the province of Idlib, examine the changes in the situation in constant contact with each other," he said.

He said the two sides' militaries had a full mutual understanding, adding: "I hope they have ideas that will allow us to de-escalate this situation, basing on the agreements that were reached between the presidents of Russia and Turkey."

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

But more than 1,800 civilians have been killed in attacks by regime and Russian forces since then, flouting both the 2018 cease-fire and a new one that started on Jan. 12.