Qatar hails Turkey-Russia deal to 'demilitarize' Idlib

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Editor : Tevfik Sayraç

Agreement will prevent civilian deaths and avert humanitarian catastrophe, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry says

Qatar hails Turkey-Russia deal to 'demilitarize' Idlib

Qatar on Tuesday welcomed a Turkish-Russian agreement to establish a demilitarized zone in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.

According to a Tuesday statement released by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, the agreement will prevent the death of civilians and avert a feared humanitarian crisis.

The ministry also voiced its support for continued efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria based on the 2012 Geneva 1 Declaration and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The Syrian opposition also welcomed the agreement between Turkey and Russia. 

"The agreement saved the region and the people of the region from a possible humanitarian crisis," said Abdurrahman Mustafa, chair of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, in a statement.

Describing the agreement as an important step for a political solution in Syria, Mustafa thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Following a meeting in Sochi between Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the two countries agreed on Monday to establish a demilitarized zone in Idlib, Syria’s last opposition stronghold.

Ankara and Moscow also signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the “stabilization” of Idlib's de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

According to the MoU, opposition groups in Idlib will remain in areas in which they are already present, while Russia and Turkey will conduct joint patrols in the area with a view to preventing renewed fighting.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

Source : AA
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