Vershinin: De-Escalation Zone in Idleb Temporary Measure, Terrorism Must be Eradicated

MOSCOW- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin renewed the need to fully eradicate terrorism and not to allow terrorists hotbeds to remain on Syrian territory.

“De-escalation zone in Idleb is the last remaining de-escalation zone out of four ones established in 2017. And since the very beginning we have mentioned in all our agreements on de-escalation zones the main point,(de-escalation zones)are a temporary measure,”Novosti quoted Vershinin as saying on Friday, according to SANA.

” We consider it(Idleb)as an integral part of the Syrian State and Syrian territory, and this means that we cannot leave unaddressed any ‘hotbeds’ of terrorism on the Syrian territory,” the Russian official said.

Verchinin, recalling the Russian president’s words, stated that sooner or later terrorism should be eradicated, saying that if a military operation does take place in Idleb, it will be “carried out in the most effective manner,”

On the repeated Israeli attacks on Syria, Verchinin said that such arbitrary attacks on sovereign Syrian territories “must stop”, adding that “any such attacks will destabilize the situation,”

The Russian diplomat said that a new round of Astana talks on the crisis in Syria under the auspices of the Guarantor States (Russia, Iran and Turkey) is scheduled to be held  in the Kazakh capital next  March.” A high-level meeting in Astana to be held within about a month and a half to implement the agreements and decisions to be adopted in Sochi.”

The Russian diplomat stressed that the withdrawal of US troops from Syria and the situation in Idleb are among the most important topics to be on the table of Sochi.

Moscow had earlier announced that the summit of the guarantors of the Astana process on Syria would be held in the Russian city of Sochi on February 14.