Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have met in Sochi, where they discussed the situation in Syria's Idlib province, one of the remaining pockets of insurgency in the Arab Republic.
Following the talks between Putin and Erdogan, Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu announced that Russia would not conduct a military operation in Idlib.
“In the next few hours we will coordinate all the issues set forth in this document with them [Damascus authorities],” Shoigu told reporters showing the memorandum on Idlib settlement signed by him and his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar.
The meeting comes a little over a week after the Russia-Turkey-Iran summit in Tehran, where the ceasefire guarantor states focused on the question of the Idlib de-escalation zone and ways to minimize risks for the civilian population related to the counterterrorism struggle.
Demilitarized Zone in Idlib
Earlier in the day, Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow and Ankara would establish a demilitarized zone along the contact line between the armed opposition and Syrian troops, which would be controlled by Turkey and Russian military police.
Militants Brought Chlorine Gas to Idlib to Stage Chemical Attack — Russian MoD
The Russian president added that the Syrian leadership would soon hold consultations on a settlement in the region.
Erdogan, in turn, stressed that everything possible…
