French Foreign Minister Says Welcomes Russian-Turkish Agreement On Syria's Idlib

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published September 24, 2018 | 10:13 PM

France welcomes the agreement between Russia and Turkey on the Syrian province of Idlib and would like the agreement to be supported by the United Nations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday.

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) France welcomes the agreement between Russia and Turkey on the Syrian province of Idlib and would like the agreement to be supported by the United Nations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday.

Earlier in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting in the Russian resort city of Sochi, where they signed an agreement aimed at setting up a demilitarized zone in the Syrian province of Idlib along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces by October 15.

"This is an opportunity which must be seized," Le Drian said at a press conference, commenting on the arrangements between Moscow and Ankara.

He also said that he would like to discuss Syria on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

France supports the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution backing the agreement, but on the condition that this agreement will be used in the broad context of the political process, Le Drian noted.

"Diplomacy must overcome the logic of war ... This week, at my initiative, a ministerial meeting of the 'Small Group' of countries will take place, Syria will be at the center of the discussion," the minister said.

He warned that the middle East is under threat of a "constant war" without a political process.

Le Drian also listed drafting a constitution, conducting elections involving all Syrian citizens, including refugees, and creation of a "neutral" political atmosphere among prerequisites for the peace process.

The Syrian civil war has been raging for over seven years, with government forces fighting numerous terror groups and opposition factions. Russia and Turkey along with Iran are guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire agreement.