Population Of Syria's Idlib Not Fully Opposition-Minded - Lavrentyev

GENEVA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2018) The population of the Syrian Idlib province is not fully opposition-minded and many local civilians would express the desire to reach reconciliation with the authorities in Damascus, Russian special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said on Tuesday.

"The reconciliation experience in other de-escalation zones will be very useful in Idlib, because 3.5 million civilians living there are not fully opposition-minded. The majority of them are currently simply afraid of expressing their point of view. I think that there will be many people, including representatives of the moderate opposition, who will decide for themselves on whether to reach reconciliation with the current authorities," Lavrentyev told reporters.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russia, Turkey and Iran, which are the Syrian ceasefire guarantor states, held a quadrilateral meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, during which constitutional commission and Idlib situation were reviewed.

While the Syrian authorities have managed to regain control over most of the country's territories following several years of fighting against terrorists and opposition groups, the Idlib de-escalation zone remains a stronghold of insurgency.