Russia and Turkey remain committed to reducing Syria tensions

Russia and Turkey agreed to adhere to existing agreements on Syria during talks in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The delegations of the two countries held two-day talks in which they agreed to continue efforts to deescalate tensions and ease the humanitarian crisis in Syria, while continuing their fight against terrorism, the ministry said in a statement published on its website.

"It was noted that achieving long-term security and stability in Idlib and other parts of Syria is ultimately possible only on the basis of a commitment to the country's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity," it said.

In addition, both delegations stressed the importance of advancing the political process of resolving the crisis in Syria, led and implemented by the Syrians themselves with the assistance of the UN, as provided for in the UN Security Council resolution, it said.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

But more than 1,800 civilians have been killed in attacks by regime and Russian forces since then, flouting both the 2018 cease-fire and a new one that started on Jan. 12.