Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and informed him of the Russian-Turkish negotiations, the Kremlin’s Press Service said. Macron praised the agreement.
“According to the general opinion, the measures provided for in the Sochi memorandum are a good basis for stabilization in the Zaevfrat and will help to resolve the Syrian crisis as a whole”, – the statement said.
The parties also expressed hope that the first meeting of the Constitutional Committee, scheduled for October 30 in Geneva, will be constructive and effective.
In addition, Putin told Macron about the outcome of the Russia-Africa forum. The heads of state also discussed some issues on the bilateral agenda and agreed to continue contacts.
Sochi Memorandum
On October 22, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan held six-hour talks on the situation in Syria. As a result, they reaffirmed their commitment to the unity and territorial integrity of the Arab Republic and the national security of Turkey and expressed their support for the Adan Agreement.
Following the talks, a ten-point memorandum of understanding was signed. Particularly, it is stated in the memorandum that from the noon of October 23 units of the Russian military police and the Syrian border service are being introduced on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey (outside the “Source of Peace” operation zone).
They will facilitate the withdrawal of Kurdish units 30 kilometers from the border, which should be completed within 150 hours. After this, the Russian and Turkish military will begin joint patrols to a depth of ten kilometers from the border to the west and east of the area of the Source of Peace operation.
Russian military police have already begun patrolling. So, the round-trip route in the Kamyshly region is amounted to more than 210 kilometers. In addition to patrolling, the military helps to ensure the safety of the population and maintain the rule of law.