ANSD : EU demands humanitarian protection under Idlib deal

WED 24 - 4 - 2024

Date: Sep 19, 2018
Source: The Daily Star

EU demands humanitarian protection under Idlib deal

_Reuters
BRUSSELS: A deal struck between Turkey and Russia to avoid an assault on Syria's last major rebel stronghold in Idlib province must protect civilians and ensure humanitarian access, the European Union said Tuesday.

"We expect that the agreement which was according to reports reached yesterday by the Russian and Turkish presidents will guarantee the protection of civilian lives and infrastructure as well as guarantee unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access," spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told reporters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan – who are on opposite sides in the deadly seven-year conflict in Syria – reached the agreement on the fate of Idlib, home to three million people, in talks Monday.

The two leaders agreed to create a 15 to 20 kilometer-wide demilitarized zone along the line of contact between rebels and regime troops by Oct. 15, to be secured with the help of Turkish and Russian forces.

Moscow said the agreement meant that no military action would be taken against Idlib, Russian news agencies reported.

Iran, which like Russia backs Syrian President Bashar Assad in the conflict, hailed the accord as an example of "responsible diplomacy."

Kocijancic said the EU had repeatedly warned against an offensive on Idlib, saying such action would risk "a new humanitarian catastrophe."

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