Putin and Assad agree to start withdrawing Russian aviation task force from Syria - Kremlin

MOSCOW, March 14 /TASS/. The Syrian ceasefire has radically decreased the scale of bloodshed and helped improving the humanitarian situation in the country. These actions have also created conditions for starting the U.N.-mediated peace process, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in a telephone conversation on Monday. "The sides discussed the implementation of the joint statement on the cessation of hostilities in Syria made by Russia and the United States, the co-chairmen of the International Syria Support Group," the Kremlin press serviced said. Putin and Assad expressed a common opinion that the ceasefire had radically decreased the scale of bloodshed and helped improving the humanitarian situation in the country. The Russian president’s administration also noted that such actions had created conditions for starting the U.N.-mediated Syria peace talks. The Russian and Syrian presidents agreed to start the withdrawal of the bulk of the Russian aviation task force from Syria, the Kremlin press service said. "The Russian president said that the Russian Armed Forces had fulfilled the fundamental tasks, which had been assigned to them. It was agreed to start the pullout of the bulk of the Russian aviation task force," the Kremlin press service said. According to the Kremlin, Russia will preserve an air flights control center in Syria to monitor the observation of the ceasefire regime. The telephone conversation took place at the Syrian side’s request. "The [two] leaders said that the activities of the Russian Aerospace Troops in Syria made a breakthrough in the struggle against terrorism; disorganized the militants’ infrastructure and inflicted heavy losses on them," the Kremlin press service said. Assad hailed the professionalism, courage and heroism of Russian soldiers and officers who had taken part in the hostilities and thanked Russia for full-scale aid in fighting terrorism and providing relief aid to the civilian population. Assad also told Putin that he was ready to start a political process in Syria as early as possible, the Kremlin press service said. "The Syrian leader said he was ready to start a political process in the country as soon as possible. [Putin and Assad] expressed the hope that the full-scale U.N.- mediated talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives in Geneva would produce concrete results," the Kremlin said. Read more