Russia announces date for Syria safe zone agreement to take effect

Russian news agencies quoted the country's Defense Ministry as saying on May 5 that the agreement on safe zones in Syria will take effect from midnight (early morning of May 6, Hanoi time), but the Russian air force will continue to attack the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization in other places in this Middle Eastern country.

Russian fighter jets in Syria. (Source: AP)

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the first and largest safe zone in theNorthern Syria includes Idlib province and adjacent districts of the cities of Latakia, Aleppo and Hama, with a total population of over 1 million people.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said the US stance has created conditions for a political settlement in Syria, and the support of the UN, the US and Saudi Arabia for the safe zone agreement helps ensure its implementation.

Regarding the above agreement, on the same day, Director of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces' Operations Department Sergei Rudskoi said that, in fact, Russia has stopped bombing areas identified as safe zones according to the agreement just signed with Iran and Türkiye.

Mr. Rudskoi stated: "From 0:00 on May 1, the Russian Air Force stopped using airspace in de-escalation zones."

Previously, on May 4, Russia, Iran and Türkiye signed a memorandum of understanding during negotiations in Kazakhstan to establish four safe zones in Syria.

Military activities are not allowed here, including air force flights. De-escalation zones are established in four areas, including Idlib province, some adjacent areas to the north of Homs province, Eastern Ghouta and a number of provinces in southern Syria (Daraa and Al-Quneitra).

At the borders of the de-escalation zones, safe areas will be established, where checkpoints will be set up to control people entering and leaving the de-escalation zones, to serve humanitarian relief work and ceasefire monitoring points./.

According to Vietnam+