MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2018) Deputy Chief of Russian Defense Ministry's Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation Maj. Gen. Evgeny Ilyin met on Friday with Norwegian Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Knut Lein with the parties having discussed the situation in war-torn Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The meeting was held in the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation of the Russian Defense Ministry at the initiative of the Norwegian side.
"The Norwegian diplomat was informed about Russian evaluations of the situation in the Syrian de-escalation zone of Idlib in the context of agreements reached between the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey in Tehran on September 7 as well as about the activities of Russian troops in Syria aimed at providing the population with humanitarian aid, de-mining and return of refugees," the statement said.
The parties pointed out the importance of international efforts aimed at creating conditions for the return of Syrian refugees.
The Defense Ministry pointed out that the meeting was constructive.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in the Russian resort city of Sochi and signed an agreement on setting up a 9-12 mile demilitarized zone in Idlib along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces by October 15.
