De-escalation areas to help reinforce truce in Syria - Lavrentyev
ASTANA. Sept 15 (Interfax) - The creation of de-escalation areas in Syria opens up the path to genuine cessation of bloodshed in this country, the Russian president's special representative for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said.
"In our view, the completion of the stage of creating de-escalation areas opens up a path towards real cessation of bloodshed, towards full stabilization in Syria and a substantive discussion of the issue of boosting confidence between warring sides and of Syria returning to peaceful life," Lavrentyev told a press conference in Astana on Friday.
The documents signed during the sixth round of talks in Astana, will become "a reliable foundation for further reinforcement of the ceasefire as the main condition for dialogue between the government and the armed opposition in the interest of all Syrian people," Lavrentyev said.
"This is an important result and it needs to be strengthened and developed. The guarantor countries will be required further to support Syrians in such aspiration," the diplomat said.
"The de-facto creation of these de-escalation areas only a month and a half ago marked the beginning, and change of Syrians' minds in favor of renouncing violent means and methods of struggle in favor of peace and stability," Lavrentyev said.