Putin announces the end of large-scale military operations in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the end of large-scale hostilities in Syria, stressing the need to focus on the political settlement of the crisis in the country.

Speaking at a meeting of the plenary session of the Valdai Forum for International Dialogue, Putin said on Thursday that “large-scale hostilities are already over.

In any case, no final solution can be achieved through military operations, whatever they may be their results, that is why we must now work on the issues of a political settlement, which we’re resolutely doing”.

The Russian president pointed out that his country has made great efforts to form the Syrian Constitutional Committee, noting that Russia expects to start its work in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on September 23 that an agreement had been reached between the Syrian government and opposition forces on the formation of the constitutional committee, which has been in operation since the Syrian National Dialogue Forum in Sochi, on January 31, 2018, in a long-awaited step to achieve Political settlement of the crisis in the country.

Guterres added that the committee will hold its first meeting in Geneva “in the coming weeks”, saying that “its composition can and should represent a breakthrough for the political path towards a settlement in Syria”.