PRESS RELEASE

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Russia, U.S. Move Ahead To Hammer Out Details in Setting Up Syrian De-Escalation Zones

July 11, 2017 (EIRNS)—Carrying out the agreements made between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin during their meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Moscow and Washington are working on details for the implementing de-escalation zones in southwest Syria’s Daraa, Quneitra, and Sweida. "This cooperation will continue in terms of implementing the agreements approved for southwest Syria," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters yesterday, reported by TASS.

"The July 7 memorandum, signed by us, the Americans and the Jordanians, envisages working on more details that will fix how these zones will operate in practice."

"Despite the fact that a ceasefire was announced yesterday, there is still much to be done in order to ensure it, so we have a lot of work ahead of us,"

Lavrov explained, saying

"it has been decided that details concerning the implementation of the de-escalation zones will be agreed at the monitoring center which Russia, the United States and Jordan are setting up in Amman. The center will maintain direct contacts with both the government forces and armed opposition unit."

"Russia will continue to take advantage of its military presence in Syria to actively support the Syrian government and opposition in their joint fight against terrorist groups, particularly using its Aerospace Force,"

Lavrov said.

"I expect that the success achieved in connection with the setup of de-escalation zones, as well as the progress reached at the Astana talks concerning three other de-escalation zones, will help us fight terrorists more effectively."

"We are close to reaching a final agreement on the Homs and the eastern Ghouta zones, while talks continue on the northern zone, which is planned to be set up in the Idlib area,"

Lavrov confirmed.