Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Moscow, SANA – Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the efforts of the Syrian legitimate government in counterterrorism in Syria will continue after reducing the presence of the Russian forces in Syria.
In a statement quoted by Russian Sputnik News Agency on Monday, Peskov clarified that the groups of the Russian air forces will withdraw from Syria but the Russian military bases will stay and monitor the implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement.
“Our bases of operations — our naval base in Tartous and our air base at Hmeimim — will operate as usual. They should be protected from land, sea, and air,” Peskov quoted President Putin as saying.
Peskov said that a timetable for the withdrawal will be identified by the Russian defense Ministry.
Earlier, Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed with his US counterpart the crisis in Syria in a telephone conversation on Monday.
In a statement, Kremlin said that Putin told Obama that the Russian forces would begin to withdraw from Syria, having completed their “main tasks” in the fight against terrorism.
“The presidents called for an intensification of the process for a political settlement to the crisis, and voiced their support for the U.N. talks starting in Geneva between the Syrian government and opposition,” the Kremlin said.
The Syrian and Russian sides agreed in a phone call between President Bashar al-Assad and President Putin to reduce the presence of Russia’s air force in Syria .
For its part, the White House said that presidents Obama and Putin discussed the required upcoming steps for the full implementation of cessation of hostilities in Syria.
R. Milhem / Ghossoun
