AMN
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said a truce in Syria is being observed on the whole, while welcoming his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow. Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in Syria’s war, co-brokered a ceasefire in December that helped reduce the scale of fighting between Syrian President Bashar Assad and the opposition.
They also supported two rounds of talks this year between the government and the rebels, while a third set is scheduled for next week. For his part, Erdogan said that there is no doubt about the very successful Syria talks sponsored by the two countries, adding that Turkey was cooperating with Russia’s military.
Erdogan also praised the two countries’ friendship, saying it is strong enough to overcome their differences, even as he urged Russia to lift all sanctions it imposed on Ankara following the downing of a Russian plane in 2015.