Assad, Russian Delegation Discussed Idlib Zone Deal Implementation On Sunday - Moscow

The Russian delegation and Syrian President Bashar Assad discussed on Sunday in Damascus the implementation of arrangements on the Idlib de-escalation zone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th November, 2018) The Russian delegation and Syrian President Bashar Assad discussed on Sunday in Damascus the implementation of arrangements on the Idlib de-escalation zone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Assad received Russia's Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and the Defense Ministry officials in Damascus.

"There was a detailed exchange of views on the current situation in Syria and around it, with an emphasis on the implementation of the provisions of memorandum on Idlib signed in Sochi on September 17 amid continued resolute fight against terrorists," the statement reads.

On September 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed at talks in Sochi to set up a demilitarized zone in Idlib along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces by October 15. The withdrawal of heavy weaponry operated by the militants is also part of the agreement.

However, a source in the Liwa al-Quds militia in Aleppo told Sputnik on October 17 that the demilitarized zone would become fully operational only in early November as the Turkish side had asked for postponement.