'Istanbul summit on Syria aimed at avoiding new humanitarian disaster'

The leaders of France, Germany, Turkey and Russia will meet on Oct 27 in Istanbul to discuss the war in Syria and identify ways of avoiding a humanitarian catastrophe in the country's Idlib region, the French presidency said on Friday.

President Emmanuel Macron's office said Paris wanted to ensure a ceasefire in Idlib remained in place to prevent a new exodus of refugees and to provide new momentum for peace talks.