Russia is interested in peace in the area of the Golan Heights and in the security of Israel, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a news conference following his talks with President Donald Trump on Monday, TASS reported.
Putin said that after the defeat of terrorists in south-western Syria, the situation on the Golan Heights “must be brought in to full compliance with the 1974 Disengagement of Forces agreement between Syria and Israel,” which will make it possible to return calm to this region, restore the ceasefire between the Syrian Arab Republic and Israel, and ensure Israel’s security.
“Mister President [Trump] has paid specific attention to this today,” Putin said. “I want to confirm that Russia is interested in such a development of the events and will adhere exactly to this position.”
The Russian leader explained that the first move would be made towards establishing a just and lasting peace on the basis of Resolution 338 of the UN Security Council, which called for a ceasefire in the Yom Kippur War in accordance with a joint proposal by the United States and the Soviet Union. The resolution stipulated a ceasefire to take effect within 12 hours of the adoption of the resolution. The “appropriate auspices” was interpreted to mean American or Soviet rather than UN auspices. This third clause helped to establish the framework for the Geneva Conference held in December 1973.
The resolution states: “The Security Council,
Calls upon all parties to present fighting to cease all firing and terminate all military activity immediately, no later than 12 hours after the moment of the adoption of this decision, in the positions after the moment of the adoption of this decision, in the positions they now occupy;
“Calls upon all parties concerned to start immediately after the cease-fire the implementation of Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) in all of its parts;
“Decides that, immediately and concurrently with the cease-fire, negotiations start between the parties concerned under appropriate auspices aimed at establishing a just and durable peace in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, according to the official Russian news service RT, Alexander Lavrentiev, Putin’s special representative for Syria, told journalists on the sidelines of the Helsinki meeting that the most important thing for Russia is the stability of the situation in Syria, the cessation of hostilities, and bringing order to the political process in that country.
Putin also stressed that Iranian troops are not present in the de-escalation zone in southern Syria, noting that the presence of Iranian advisers in Syria came upon a request of the Syrian government.