Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) head Nasr Hariri held a meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday and discussed the situation in northeastern Syria and in Idlib de-escalation zone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th March, 2019) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) head Nasr Hariri held a meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday and discussed the situation in northeastern Syria and in Idlib de-escalation zone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said."In the course of the conversation, the problems of promoting the political process in Syria in accordance with the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the importance of the early formation and launch of the work of the constitutional committee ... [The sides also discussed] the situation in northeastern Syria and in the Idlib de-escalation zone with a focus on the task to finally eliminate hotbeds of terrorist presence in Syria, as well as to ensure the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of this country," the statement said.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said last week that Russia was working with the UN special envoy and with Iran and Turkey on the terms for the constitutional committee's launch and work.
The agreement to set up the committee was reached during the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in the Russian city of Sochi in January 2018. The congress served as one of the platforms where the Syrian settlement is discussed. Other formats include Astana and Geneva talks.
Syria was plunged in a military conflict in 2011. The victory over the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) was declared in late 2017, and the political settlement as well as return of refugees and rebuilding have come to the forefront since then.
The Idlib de-escalation zone now remains the last major stronghold of terrorists and armed rebels in Syria. In September 2018, ceasefire guarantors Russia and Turkey agreed to set up in Idlib a 9-12 mile deep demilitarized zone, which would be cleared of heavy weapons and militants.
However, despite progress in the withdrawal of weapons and fighters from the area, remaining militants regularly commit ceasefire violations by shelling nearby provinces. Moreover, Lavrov said in January that the Nusra Front (banned in Russia) had taken over around 70 percent of the demilitarized zone.
