ASTANA, September 15. /TASS/. Russia, Iran and Turkey, acting as guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire, have announced the setup of four de-escalation zones in the country, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said at the plenary meeting of the Astana talks on Syria.
Russia, Iran and Turkey "announce the creation of the de-escalation areas… in eastern Ghouta, in certain parts in the north of Homs province, in Idlib province and certain parts of the neighboring Latakia, Hama and Aleppo provinces and also in certain parts of southern Syria," says the statement read out by Abdrakhmanov.
According to the joint statement, the setup of the de-escalation zones is "a temporary measure which will initially last 6 months and will be automatically extended on the basis of guarantors’ consensus." At the same time, the de-escalation zones will help "maintain the ceasefire, to ensure the territorial integrity of Syria and continue to fight terrorism," the document adds.
The guarantor countries say the establishment of the de-escalation zones will not undermine sovereignty of that country, according to Abdrakhmanov.
"Under no circumstances the establishment of the said de-escalation zones does not undermine sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic," the minister voiced a joint statement, the guarantor countries adopted after the meeting.
The document reads the conflicting parties should undertake measures to improve trust, including liberation of the detained and hostages, to give out bodies of the killed, to search for the missing - thus to provide better conditions for the political process and stable ceasefire.