Russia may deploy military in Syrian buffer zones within weeks

Record ID: 897980

  • Title: Russia may deploy military in Syrian buffer zones within weeks
  • Date: 4th July 2017
  • Summary: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN (JULY 4, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR MARRIOTT HOTEL, TALKS VENUE VARIOUS OF DELEGATES TALKING IN CORRIDOR HEAD OF RUSSIAN DELEGATION, ALEXANDER LAVRENTYEV, AT NEWS BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF RUSSIAN DELEGATION, ALEXANDER LAVRENTYEV, SAYING: "So far it is hard to talk about presence of the Russian observers and representatives of the Russian defence ministry. But nevertheless overall there are plans for the Russian military police presence in the buffer zones. But still this matter has not been fully agreed yet. It will be related to the question about the status of de-escalation monitoring forces." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF RUSSIAN DELEGATION, ALEXANDER LAVRENTYEV, SAYING: "One thing is to work with maps and another one is to apply it to reality on the ground which is rather complicated. And this process of course takes a long time. But nevertheless I would like to say that we have practically determined the contact lines and borders of the second and third de-escalation zones. We still have questions on Idlib and the southern zone." MEDIA LAVRENTYEV LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 18th July 2017 18:18
  • Keywords: Russia Syria Kazakhstan Syria Syria talks Astana talks Alexander Lavrentyev deescalation zones buffer zones
  • Location: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
  • City: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016OAX747
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Russia may deploy its military to police the borders of planned de-escalation zones in Syria within two to three weeks after finalising an agreement with Turkey and Iran, Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev said on Tuesday (July 4).
    Moscow hopes to sign the final documents with Ankara and Tehran on Wednesday (July 5), he told reporters after a series of meetings in the Kazakh capital, Astana.
    Russia and Iran, which back President Bashar Assad's government, and Turkey, which supports some of the rebels, agreed in principle to create four "de-escalation zones" in Syria in a previous round of talks in May, but put off a planned June meeting where they were supposed to work out the details.
    Since the May agreement was announced, the rebel-held stronghold of Idlib province in the northwest of Syria has been mostly calm. But fighting has continued on other frontlines in western Syria, including Eastern Ghouta of Damascus and the southwestern city of Deraa, where government forces and their allies are trying to crush remaining pockets of rebellion.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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