EU welcomes fresh cease-fire in Idlib

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - The EU Council on Friday voiced support for a recent agreement between Turkey and Russia for a cease-fire in northwestern Syria.

The council said it took note of the outcome of the Russia-Turkey meeting on Thursday in Moscow and reiterated its call on Russia and the Syrian Bashar al-Assad regime to stop offensive targeting of civilians.

It urged the conflict parties to keep in place an immediate and sustainable cease-fire, to guarantee the protection of civilians on the ground and from the air and to enable the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance by the international community.

"These messages are being delivered to all key parties. The EU is liaising with other international partners, including the UN, NATO and the U.S. so that the clear international consensus in favor of de-escalation and a lasting cease-fire is strongly reinforced," said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

He announced that the council had decided to hold a two-day conference in Brussels beginning on June 29 with broad international participation to support UN efforts for a peaceful solution in Syria.

Borrell's remarks came after an extraordinary session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Croatia's capital Zagreb.

Turkey launched Operation Spring Shield after at least 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred last week in an Assad regime airstrike in Idlib province. Under a 2018 deal with Russia, Turkish troops were in Idlib to protect civilians from attacks by the regime and its allies.

On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in Moscow to a new cease-fire in Idlib.

Borrell recalled that there were more than 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, making it the host of the most refugees in the world.

He said that the EU should help "reduce Turkey's burden," adding: "There are many Syrian people waiting to come to Turkey. We should see this problem and contribute to its solution,"

However, he said it was not acceptable for asylum-seekers to enter the EU illegally and that Brussels would "take all necessary measures under international law and EU law."

He added that the EU member states reaffirmed their support for Greece once again at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Croatia's Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman voiced concern on the conditions in Idlib.

"This humanitarian crisis has become tragic. It is unthinkable that wars are still going on in the 21st century," he said.

Radman said that the cease-fire announced on Thursday by Turkey and Russia may also play a key role in stemming the movement of asylum seekers to Turkey's the border with Greece.

"Continuing the political dialogue with Turkey is extremely important," he stressed.

Last week, Turkish officials announced they would no longer try to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe.

The decision was made after 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred by Assad regime forces in Idlib, with the recent escalation sending a fresh wave of Syrian migrants toward Turkey's border.

Turkey says it cannot absorb another wave of migration.