Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, have discussed the Syrian crisis settlement, including the situation in Idlib, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2020) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, have discussed the Syrian crisis settlement, including the situation in Idlib, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that six Turkish servicemen had been killed in an attack by the Syrian army in Idlib. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged that retaliation would follow.
"The sides have discussed thoroughly the Syrian settlement process, with a special focus on the current situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone. They have confirmed the need to strictly abide with the bilateral agreements, first of all those reached as a result of the meeting of Russian and Turkish presidents, held on September 17, 2018, in Sochi. In this context, they have stressed the importance of quick separation of the moderate opposition and the terrorist elements, and of urgent cessation of any provocation against civilians and Syria's armed forces," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Lavrov and Cavusoglu have also discussed what steps the Astana guarantor states should take to improve the situation on the ground and to promote the effort of the Constitutional Committee, according to the statement.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to overcoming the Syrian crisis exclusively through political and diplomatic measures, the Russian Foreign Ministry added.
