"If you take the decision to implement these arrangements, we are ready to guarantee the implementation of the ceasefire and permanently control its upholding. There are currently all preconditions to stop military hostilities across all the Syrian territory and organize a direct dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition… At the same time, all the conditions have been created for reduction of the number of the Russian troops in Syria," Shoigu said.
The presence of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria will be reduced, but Moscow will continue to fight international terrorism, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
"I agree with the proposal of the Defense Ministry to cut our military presence in the Syrian Republic, bearing in mind that we are definitely going to continue the fight against international terrorism and will keep supporting the legitimate Syrian government in the fight against terrorism," Putin said at a meeting with Russia's foreign and defense ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu.
"We will certainly implement the agreements we achieved, including on the development of bases of Russia's Armed Forces in Tartus and at the Hmeimim airfield," he said.
Earlier Thursday, Putin said the Syrian government and armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on a ceasefire on Syrian territory and on readiness to start peace talks. He said three documents had been signed.
The first document is between the Syrian government and the armed opposition on the ceasefire in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. The second document is a set of measures to monitor the ceasefire regime and the third document is a statement of readiness to start peace negotiations on the Syrian settlement.
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