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Russia, Turkey work for implementation of Sochi memorandum on Syria

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the most complicated situation in Syria remained in the areas beyond the government’s control, in the first place, in the Idlib de-escalation zone and the east bank of the Euphrates

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Moscow and Ankara are pushing ahead with efforts to implement the Russian-Turkish memorandum on joint actions for a settlement in northeastern Syria, which the leaders of the two countries signed in Sochi on October 22, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Thursday.

She said the most complicated situation in Syria remained in the areas beyond the government’s control, in the first place, in the Idlib de-escalation zone and the east bank of the Euphrates.

"In Trans-Euphratia we cooperate with Ankara on the implementation of the October 22 memorandum," Zakharova said. "This work is proceeding along two tracks: prevention of relapses of hostilities and improvement of the humanitarian situation."

"On one track the pullback of the Kurdish forces from the border with Turkey has been completed. Also, joint patrols have been arranged for," she said. "A demilitarized zone was created along the perimeter of the area of the Peace Spring operation. A Russian-Turkish coordination center is functioning."

On the humanitarian track, Zakharova said, Russian specialists provide medical assistance to civilians, distribute food parcels among the needy and restore water and electric power facilities.

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Syria Turkey Maria Zakharova

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