Russia will continue cooperation with the US on de-escalation zones in southern Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that although a ceasefire agreement came into force on Sunday, it needs to be consolidated.
“Regarding the perspectives of our cooperation with the Americans, it will continue through the implementation of those deals agreed on the de-escalation zone in Syria’s southwest. The memorandum from June 7… assumes the development of additional details that would secure how this zone would work in practice. And despite the ceasefire coming into force on Sunday at 12:00 [local time], this [ceasefire] should be consolidated,” Lavrov told reporters in Moscow.
A de-escalation zone helps to “disengage” armed opposition from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra Front (now known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham) and other groups recognized as terrorists by the UN Security Council.
A monitoring center in the Jordanian capital, Amman, which oversees the truce in Syria, will work directly with the Syrian opposition and government in Damascus, according to the foreign minister.
“We agreed to use a monitoring center established by Russia, the US and Jordan in Amman to coordinate all the details of functioning of these de-escalation zones,” Lavrov said.
Final agreements on de-escalation zones in the areas near Homs and East Ghouta may be reached very soon, Lavrov said, adding that negotiations on Idlib region are still…