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![Tens of thousands of civilians have streamed out of former battle zones in search of safety and security in Aleppo [Xinhua]](http://thebricspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/261630662_8-e1482310715303.jpg)
Tens of thousands of civilians have streamed out of former battle zones in search of safety and security in Aleppo [Xinhua]
“Turkish-Russian-Iranian cooperation ensures the evacuation of civilians and armed groups from eastern Aleppo,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, adding that he hoped the evacuations of civilians would end in a couple of days.
“The most efficient and effective format for solving the Syrian crisis is our current trilateral format,” Lavrov added.
Civilians have been streaming in near endless frequency out of war-torn Aleppo in recent days.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said a total of 37,500 people have been evacuated from Aleppo so far, Turkey’s Anadolu news agency reports.
“We will continue together to pursue our efforts to stop bloodshed in Syria, spread a permanent cease-fire throughout the country, and unhindered humanitarian aid,” Cavusoglu said.
While the trilateral declaration reaffirmed a commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity “as a multi-ethnic, democratic and secular state”, it also promised to expand the current ceasefire in Aleppo to other regions of Syria, and ensure unhindered movement of civilians and refugees to safe zones.
The trilateral initiative has already been endorsed at the UN.
On Wednesday, UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura said: “I welcome the joint statement and find it helpful in promoting the resumption of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva on the 8 of February,”
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
