Syria govt welcomes Russia, Turkey agreement on Idlib

Syria welcomes the agreement on Idlib province between Russia and Turkey, the Foreign Ministry in Damascus said on Tuesday. The agreement was a result of intensive talks and full coordination between Damascus and Moscow, SANA reported, citing the ministry’s officials. They said the Idlib deal, which has “specific limited dates,” is part of the previous agreements on the de-escalation zones, achieved during the Astana-format talks in 2017. They are based on the commitment of parties to preserve Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to free Syria from terrorists and any military or foreign illegal presence, the ministry added. Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul Karim, said on Tuesday that a Russian-Turkish deal to create a buffer zone in rebel-held Idlib would be a test of Ankara’s ability to meet commitments, Reuters reports.