Putin’s decision to withdraw forces from Syria prove peaceful nature of Russian foreign policy - MP

MOSCOW, March 15. /TASS/. The Russian president’s decision to withdraw the main part of Russian air group from Syria proves the peaceful nature of Russia’s foreign policy, a Russian lawmaker said on Monday. "These decisions emphasis the peaceful and results-oriented nature of Russia’s foreign policy," Andrei Klishas, the chairman of the constitutional legislation committee of Russia’s Federation Council upper parliament house, said. "The tasks that were set to the Russian armed forces and reported to the Federation Council when it was requested by the president to permit the use of Russian forces abroad have been basically fulfilled," he said, adding that these tasks were to "rebuff terrorist groups in Syria which killed civilians and destroyed the Syrian state." The Kremlin press service said late on Monday after a telephone conversation between Russian and Syrian Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Bashar Assad, that the two leaders agreed to withdraw the main part of Russia’s air group from that country as "the Russian Armed Forces had fulfilled the fundamental tasks, which had been assigned to them." Russia however will keep an air flights control center in Syria to monitor the observation of the ceasefire regime, the Kremlin said. An order was issued to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to begin troops pullout starting March 15. Read more