Russia tables draft UN resolution on Syria safe zones

Russia said on Monday it had tabled a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council to back up a deal on establishing safe zones in Syria.

“We confirm that a draft resolution has been introduced,” Russian news agencies cited the country’s UN mission spokesman Fyodor Strzhizhovsky as saying in New York, without giving details.

A source at the UN told Russia’s Interfax news agency that “a vote on the draft will take place possibly this week”.

Syrian regime backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey last week inked a deal to set up four “de-escalation zones” in the war-torn country.

The agreement, which came into force from Saturday, is aimed at shoring up a fragile ceasefire seen as a key step to unwinding over six years of violence that has cost some 465,000 lives.

Moscow said on Monday that the situation inside the safe zones was “stable”.

Under the deal, Russia, Iran and Turkey have until June 4 to agree on the exact boundaries of the four zones, where fighting between rebels and government forces is meant to stop.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mua’allem said on Monday his country would reject any UN role in monitoring the implementation of four “de-escalation” zones.

source: GULF NEWS