MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd March, 2019) The Russian-Turkish agreement on stabilization in the Syrian province of Idlib has not been fully implemented, as the demilitarized zone is yet to be created, and militants and heavy weapons are yet to be withdrawn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, calling on Ankara to fulfill its obligations.
"We encourage our Turkish partners to fulfill their obligations under the memorandum on stabilization in Idlib, which was signed on September 17, 2018. It is important to prevent further increase in terrorists presence under the guise of the ceasefire agreement, which we agreed on with Turkey. Meanwhile, the provisions of the document that deal with the creation of a demilitarized zone, and withdrawal of all radicals and heavy weapons have not been fully implemented yet," Lavrov said in an interview with the Kuwait news Agency, ahead of his tour across the middle East.
Last September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed to create a demilitarized zone in Idlib, which remains a stronghold of terrorists, along the contact line between the armed opposition and the Syrian government forces. The two countries' defense ministers signed a memorandum on stabilizing the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone.
The demilitarized zone in Idlib was expected to have been established by October 15, 2018.
