Switzerland: Putin shows 'clear commitment' to Syria peace talks - UN panel

Chairperson of the UNHCR's Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic Paulo Pinheiro commented on Russia's decision to withdraw most of its military from Syria during a press briefing in Geneva, Tuesday.
"What I think that it would be fair to recognise is that in the statement of President Putin there is a very clear commitment to support the negotiations, the peace negotiations that begin tomorrow here in Geneva," Pinheiro stated.
Pinheiro was flanked by two other members of the independent commission, Carla del Ponte and Vitit Muntarbhorn, as the trio presented a new report on the ongoing situation in Syria.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to begin the withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria starting from Tuesday. Moscow will keep its Hmeymim airbase in Latakia province in order to control the observation of ceasefire agreements in the region.
The Russian Air Force began its operations in Syria on September 30, 2015, after receiving an official request for assistance from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russian jets have been launching air strikes on strategic and economic targets of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and other terrorist targets in Syria.