Russia likely to reduce military in Syria: Army chief

By Diyar Guldogan

SOCHI, Russia (AA) - Russia will "probably" reduce its military presence in Syria, Chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday.

"Probably, it [Russia] will," Gerasimov told reporters after a question whether Moscow will reduce its military’s presence in Syria in the light of recent events, according to Russia's official TASS news agency.

Gerasimov's remarks came a day after Syria summit in Russia's coastal city of Sochi, where the presidents of Turkey, Russia and Iran met to discuss progress made in the Astana peace talks and changes in de-escalation zones across Syria.

Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani reaffirmed their determination to continue active collaboration with a view to establishing peace and stability in Syria.

Putin previously said that military operation in Syria was nearing completion.