Shoigu calls Russian-Turkish memorandum only way to preserve Syria’s sovereignty

BAKU, October 30. /TASS/. The Russian-Turkish memorandum on Syria, signed in Sochi by the two countries’ leaders, is not easy to implement, but this is the only way to preserve the Arab republic’s sovereignty, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told a meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday. "The memorandum, signed by the Turkish and Russian presidents, is not easy to implement, but we see that probably this is the only way to establish peace and preserve Syria’s sovereignty," Shoigu highlighted. The Russian defense chief noted that "as of today, Russia has achieved huge experience in combating international terrorism." "We are ready to share this experience with our colleagues. This also refers to the issues of fighting against international terrorism and humanitarian cooperation, namely mine clearance, medical assistance and many other fields," the minister said. Speaking on military construction plans as part of the coalition, Shoigu noted that the agenda in this sphere was "rather broad." "Cooperation is developing in line with a plan, which we consider and endorse jointly," he stated. On Wednesday, Azerbaijan’s president met with defense chiefs from the Commonwealth of Independent States, who arrived in Baku to attend a meeting of the Council of the CIS Defense Ministers. On October 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a memorandum on joint actions aimed at resolving the crisis in northeastern Syria. The document stipulated that Russian military police and Syrian troops should be deployed to the areas near the Turkish operation’s zone. Kurdish units were given 150 hours to withdraw from the 30-kilometer zone along the Turkish border, after which the Russian and Turkish military servicemen were due to begin conducting joint patrols. Shoigu announced on Tuesday that Kurdish forces had completed their pullout from the safe area in northeastern Syria under the Sochi agreement ahead of schedule. Read more