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Russia unaware of serious clashes between Turkish, Syrian military, Lavrov says

The Russian foreign minister was speaking about the zone of the October 22 Russian-Turkish memorandum

MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/. Russia has no credible information about any direct serious clashes between the Turkish and Syrian military in the zone of implementing the Russian-Turkish memorandum, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Thursday.

"Any minor hiccups are inevitable when major deals are being implemented 'on the ground.' I have not heard that any direct serious clashes between the Syrian and Turkish military have been confirmed in any area where the October 22 Russian-Turkish memorandum is being fulfilled," Lavrov said.

Meanwhile, Russia’s special presidential representative for the Syrian settlement, Alexander Lavrentyev, told TASS that Russia welcomes the situation in northeastern Syria and notes the fulfillment of the October 22 agreements with Turkey.

"All is well," he said when asked about Russia’s opinion of the situation in northeastern Syria. "All agreements contained in the October 22 memorandum are being kept. We hope that it will be calm there and the border will be sealed tightly."

In comment on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement on a possible extension of a safe zone in northern Syria, Lavrov stressed that the Turkish leader had not declared this categorically. "As far as I understand, he stated that he expected the October 22 deal to be implemented."

After the 150-hour deadline expired for the Kurdish units to withdraw 30 km from the Syrian-Turkish border, the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides reported that this condition had been fulfilled. "We proceed from this. My understanding is that our Turkish colleagues did not make any other statements. The issues are being solved rather effectively "on the ground," Lavrov claimed, noting that the Russian military maintained contact with the Syrian and Turkish colleagues.

On October 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a memorandum in Sochi on joint actions aimed at resolving the crisis in northeastern Syria. The document stipulated that Russian military police and Syrian troops should be deployed to the areas near the Turkish operation’s zone. Kurdish units were given 150 hours to withdraw from the 30-kilometer zone along the Turkish border, after which the Russian and Turkish military servicemen were due to begin conducting joint patrols. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Tuesday that Kurdish forces had completed their pullout from the safe area in northeastern Syria under the Sochi agreement ahead of schedule.