Russian President Vladimir
Putin has issued an order to begin withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria
starting from March 15.
"I think that the
tasks set to the defense ministry aregenerally fulfilled. That is why I
order to begin withdrawal of most of our military group from Syria starting
from tomorrow," Putin said on Monday at a meeting with Defense Minister
Sergey Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
In Putin's words, during
their operation in Syria, Russian military have demonstrated professionalism
and teamwork, having performed all the set tasks.
"Besides, our
military, soldiers and officers demonstrated professionalism, teamwork and
ability to organize combat work far away from their territory, having no common
borders with the theater of war," he said.
During the operation in
Syria, Russia managed to create even if a small, but efficient military
alighment of multiple-type forces and means, the president said.
"Efficient work of our military has created conditions for the start of a
peace process," the president said.
"With the
participation of Russian military, Syrian troops and patriotic forces in Syria
have managed to turn the tide in fight against international terrorism and take
the initiative on practically all directions," Putin stated.
Russian bases in Syria’s
Tartus and Khmeimim are to continue operating in routine regime, the president
went on to say.
"Our bases —the
naval base in Tartus and the airbase at the Khmeimim airfield —will
operate in a routine mode. They are to be safely protected from the land, from
the sea and from air," he told thedefense and foreign ministers.
Those Russian servicemen
who will stay in Syria will be engaged in monitoring the ceasefire regime,
Putin added.
Russia’s aerospace forces
launched pinpoint strikes against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra targets
in Syria on September 30 after the Federation Council upper parliament house
unanimously approved President Vladimir Putin’s request for the use of the
armed forces against terrorists in Syria.
The Russian air group in
Syria comprises more than 50 warplanes and helicopters, including Su-34 and
Su-24M bombers, Su-25 attack aircraft, Su-30SM fighters and Mi-8 and Mi-24
helicopters. Air strikes have been delivered at military hardware,
communications centers, transport vehicles, munitions depots and other
terrorist infrastructure facilities. The military operation has been conducted
at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The Russian
presidentsaid hehopes the start of the withdrawal of Russian troops
will become a good motivation for launching negotiations between political
forces of that country andinstructed theforeign minister to
intensify Russia’s participation in organization of peace process in Syria.
"I hope today’s
decision will be a good signal for all conflicting parties. I hope it will
sizably increase trust of all participants in the process," the president
said."I ask the Russian Foreign Ministry to intensify Russia’s
participation in organizing the peace process to solve the Syrian
problem," he added.
For his part, Lavrov told
the president that the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces had created
the conditions for the political process in Syria. Russia’s top diplomat
recalled that Russia had consistently advocated the establishment of the
intra-Syrian dialogue.
He noted that the
intra-Syrian talks had resumed in Geneva earlier on Monday. "The work is
not easy, it is yet to be understood how all these groups (taking part in the
talks) could gather at the same table together," Lavrov said. "But
the process has got underway, and it is in our common interests to make it
sustainable and irreversible."
According to Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin has discussed and coordinated the decision on
the beginning of withdrawal of Russia's forces from Syria with Syrian counterpart
Bashar Assad.
"Everything voiced at
the meeting [of Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister
Sergey Shoigu] was told our Syrian colleagues and coordinated with president
[Bashar] Assad," Peskov said.
The Syrian President
toldVladimir Putin by telephone that he was ready to start a political
process in Syria as early as possible, the Kremlin press service said.
"The Syrian leader
said he was ready to start a political process in the country as soon as
possible. [Putin and Assad] expressed the hope that the full-scale UN-mediated
talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives in Geneva
would produce concrete results," the Kremlin said.
(ITAR-TASS, March 14, 2016)