Syria de-escalation zone near completion: Russian FM

ANKARA

The setting up of a de-escalation zone in southern Syria will be completed in the near future, Russia’s foreign minister claimed on July 21. 

"The process of creating the zone continues. The main parameters have already been agreed," Sergey Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russia's official
TASS news agency. 

Lavrov said "the details are now being decided" about how the zones will operate to ensure the ceasefire regime between Bashar al-Assad regime forces and the armed opposition will ensure humanitarian access. 

"I think that in the very near future this work will be completed," Lavrov said. 

At a fourth meeting in the Kazakh capital Astana on May 4, the three guarantor countries -- Russia, Turkey and Iran -- signed a deal to establish such zones in Syria. 

On July 7, Lavrov announced Russia, the U.S and Jordan had agreed a cease-fire in southwestern Syria -- in Daraa, Quneitra and Souweida. This came into effect on July 9. 

Lavrov believes the creation of zones with the U.S. and Jordan is "the best confirmation that when we deal with specific cases, rather than speculation, we can achieve results," according to TASS.