10 Dec 2019 12:07

Russia, Turkey not to enlarge security zone established under Sochi memorandum - Lavrentyev

NUR-SULTAN. Dec 10 (Interfax) - The sides to the Sochi memorandum have no intention of enlarging the security zone created on the Syrian-Turkish border, Russian Special Presidential Representative for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told the press in Nur-Sultan on Tuesday.

"No, [the zone will not be expanded]. The memorandum signed by the two presidents, Putin and Erdogan, stipulates a 120-kilometer security zone, and this is it," Lavrentyev said.

"We deem it necessary to preserve it as is. Any expansion [...] will do no good," he said.

All is stable in the security zone at present, Lavrentyev said. Russia remains committed to the Sochi memorandum, he said.

"Of course, various parties are staging provocations, but we have managed to stabilize the situation on the whole," he said.