Russian, Turkish envoys discussed Syria in Ankara

ANKARA, November 13. /TASS/. Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal have held a meeting in Ankara Friday. "The negotiations discussed the situation with the Constitutional Committee, the Astana process, Idlib events, the situation with Syrian refugees and displaced persons as well as activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party and Self-Defense Forces terrorist organizations (recognized as terrorist by Turkey - TASS). An exchange of opinions was held on these issues," the Turkish ministry told reporters. The Russian delegation currently is in the Turkish capital for a working visit. A source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry told TASS that Russian envoys will hold talks in the Defense Ministry in the afternoon. According to the previously disseminated information, the parties can also discuss technical and tactical details of the Nagorno-Karabakh agreement in Ankara. Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27 in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. The Russian leader said the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region. Besides, Baku and Yerevan must exchange prisoners and the bodies of those killed. On November 11, Russia and Turkey agreed to create the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire monitoring center, the memorandum was signed following videoconference talks between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar. Read more