23 Oct 2019 13:23

Russian-Turkish memorandum to help stop bloodshed in Syria - Matviyenko

MOSCOW. Oct 23 (Interfax) - The memorandum signed by Russia and Turkey on October 22 will help stop the bloodshed in northern Syria; it is important that the fragile truce holds, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko told the press on Wednesday.

"This document will help stop the bloodshed and prevent an escalation of the humanitarian catastrophe. It will also foster coordinated efforts towards finalizing the fight against terrorists," Matviyenko said.

"It is important to preserve the fragile truce and to make sure that the Constitutional Committee holds its meeting," she said.

The talks held by the Russian and Turkish presidents were meaningful and extensive and had convincing results, Matviyenko said. The talks showed that "Russia is playing a key role in the Syrian settlement process," she said.

Their main result is the continuation of the political process consistent with the Astana agreement so that the events in northern Syria do not prevent the coming meeting of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva and the political process from happening, Matviyenko said.