Russian FM Lavrov, Turkey’s Cavusoglu Discuss Syrian Peace Settlement
/ Go to the mediabankRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov 
/ Go to the mediabank
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed coordination of steps in the settlement of the Syrian conflict during a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
"The ministers exchanged New Year greetings and discussed plans for foreign policy cooperation in 2023, including further coordination of steps to facilitate a Syrian settlement," the ministry said.
Earlier this week, Syrian media reported, citing anonymous sources in Damascus, that Ankara agreed to withdraw troops from Syrian territory following trilateral talks between the defense ministers of Russia, Syria and Turkey that took place in Moscow on Wednesday. The talks marked the first official meeting between Ankara and Damascus in 11 years.The war in Syria erupted in 2011 as a result of the so-called “Arab Spring” with various insurgent and terrorist groups fighting against the Syrian Arab Army in an attempt to overthrow President Bashar Assad. Since 2016, the Turkish Army has also been conducting air and ground operations in Syria against armed Kurdish groups without permission from Damascus. At the same time, Moscow and Ankara have been acting as mediators in the conflict.