Russia, Turkey agree on safeguarding civilians in Syria's Idlib

MOSCOW, Feb 19 (KUNA) -- Russia and Turkey agreed on Saturday on protecting civilians in the demilitarized (de-escalation) zone in Idlib northwest Syria.
Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following talks between officials from the two countries that they agreed on taking steps to alleviate tension and protect the civilians in and outside Idlib as well as delivering urgent aid to those in need.
The two sides also discussed moves that should be taken to stabilize the situation in Idlib on the basis of a memo signed by Ankara and Moscow in May 2017 and the Sochi accord, inked in September 2019.
The Sochi agreement stipulates separation of the "moderated armed groups from the terrorists," and carving out a safe zone with a depth ranging between 20 to 30 kilometers. (end) as.rk