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1st LD: Damascus accepts Russian proposal of creating "de-escalated zones" in Syria

Xinhua, May 3, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Syrian government on Wednesday accepted the Russian proposal of creating "de-escalated zones" in Syria, the Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry said the Syrian government's approval comes out of its concern for the lives of the Syrians.

It also stressed its resolve to keep on fighting terrorist groups wherever across Syria.

Earlier in the day, a new round of intra-Syrian talks kicked off in the Kazakh capital of Astana, where a fresh Russian proposal for creating four or more "de-escalation zones" in Syria was being under discussion.

According to leaks by Russian media outlets on the details of the proposal, the four zones will be flanked with safety lines along with checkpoints and monitoring centers, as Russia, Turkey and Iran could be sending armed factions for monitoring the cease-fire.

The safety lines and checkpoints should allow the entry of unarmed civilians, and facilitate the humanitarian delivery as well as monitoring the cease-fire as these areas will be created to avert confrontation between warring parties in Syria.

According to Russian reports, those areas will be created in the northwestern province of Idlib, the central city of Homs, and the eastern Ghouta countryside east of Damascus.

Three countries are called the guarantor states, with Russia and Iran on the side of the Syria government, and Turkey on the side of the rebels.

The document emphasizes the necessity to create conditions to drive out the Islamic State and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front from de-escalation zones with the help of the Syrian opposition.

According to the leaked document, the guarantor states would have to create conditions in de-escalation zones, in which the warring sides would allow a safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons. Endit