Agreement on 3rd de-escalation zone signed in Cairo

CAIRO – 3 August 2017: Representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry reached an agreement on Thursday with the Syrian opposition after their meeting in Cairo to establish the third de-escalation zone north of the city of Homs.

Egypt acted as a mediator in this process and provided a platform for negotiations and making considerable efforts towards reaching the agreement.

Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said "On July 31, a new round of talks between representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry and the moderate Syrian opposition was held in Cairo."

"The meeting’s participants reached an agreement concerning the functioning of the third de-escalation zone north of the city of Homs, which will include 84 settlements with a population of more than 147,000," Konashenkov added.

A ceasefire in the third de-escalation zone will enter into force starting from August 3 at 12:00 p.m. local time.