Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Russia appreciates US help in creating Syrian safe zones.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (Photo: VNA)

At a press conference on the sideline of the Arctic Council Conference in Alaska, Lavrov said the US might act as an observer in the safe zones but stressed that this needs to be approved by all parties involved, including Syria. Mr. Lavrov said Russian, Turkish, and Iranian experts – guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire – will meet in a few days to discuss details of the safe zones.

 Speaking on the Belarusian TV channel ONT on Thursday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the establishment of de-escalation zones in Syria is the right thing to do but that it will take time to produce results. The safe zones are intended to protect civilians, support a ceasefire between opposition forces and government forces, and facilitate diplomatic progress toward ending the 6-year civil war in Syria.