Conflicts in 4 districts in Syria to be halted from May 6: Russia

A pact reached on Thursday by Russia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Turkey is to create safe zones in Syria to reduce conflicts in the country, he said.

According to IRNA correspondent in Moscow, the deal, signed at the end of the fourth round of Syrian peace talks in the capital of Kazakhstan, will allow for the creation of 'de-escalation zones' in the Idlib province to the north of the city of Homs, in Eastern Ghouta and in the south of Syria.

In the first phase, any military operation will stop for six months and then it might be extended, Lavrentiev said.

Observation of the deal in those four districts depends on the countermeasures of the opponent armed groups as well as terrorist groups, he said.

Russia is ready to dispatch observers to properly monitor sound implementation of the accord in those regions, he said.

Other countries have the option to join as observers and this should be done in coordination with Tehran, Moscow and Ankara, he said.

In the fourth round of Antana talks on Syria various scenarios in dealing with Syrian developments were examined.

1430**1771