Russia, US to start talks on rebel withdrawal from Aleppo – Lavrov

  05 December 2016    Read: 1058
Russia, US to start talks on rebel withdrawal from Aleppo – Lavrov
A proposal made by US Secretary of State John Kerry to Russia about the divided Syrian city of Aleppo details the procedure for the withdrawal of rebel forces, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed, adding the two countries will discuss the issue in the coming days.
“During the Russian-American consultations concrete routes and timing of the withdrawal of all militants from eastern Aleppo will be discussed. Once we reach an agreement, a ceasefire will be put in place,” Lavrov said.

The Russian foreign minister added that any armed group that refuses to leave Aleppo will be treated by Russia as terrorists, adding that Moscow will support the Syrian Army’s operations against them.

The proposal by Kerry was handed over on Saturday, after he and Lavrov met in Rome. Negotiations on the plan are expected to begin on Tuesday morning, Lavrov said on Monday. He added that the beginning of the talks had been postponed by a few days at Washington’s request.

Lavrov also told journalists Monday that Russia would not support a draft resolution imposing a new ceasefire in Aleppo.

“Taken into consideration the outcome of the previous pauses, there is absolutely no doubt that a 10-day ceasefire that backers of the draft resolution generously want to provide the militant with would surely be used for regrouping and rearming the extremists and slow down the liberation of eastern Aleppo from them,” he said.

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