UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterich on Thursday called on all parties to agree on a safe area expected to be built in northern Syria, a statement from the UN headquarters in New York.

"We encourage this agreement in order to prevent any new conflicts that may arise," Guterich said, commenting on the safe area expected to be built east of the Euphrates in Syria and recent Turkish-American meetings.

The US Special Envoy to Syria, James Jeffrey, acknowledged the existence of a dispute between the United States and Turkey which hampered the establishment of a safe area in Syria, noting that talks with the Turkish side were still ongoing, but no clear results had yet been reached.

UN investigation
On the other hand, Guterich announced that a commission will be set up to investigate the "destruction and damage to facilities registered in the areas of non-engagement and UN-supported facilities" in northern Syria, and called on all parties concerned to cooperate with the Committee.

"The investigation will cover the destruction and damage to facilities in the demilitarized zone and the UN-backed sites," Gutierrez spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Guterich called on "all concerned parties to cooperate with investigators."

The escalation in Idlib has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since 2011, although the area is covered by a Russian-Turkish agreement reached in Sochi in September 2018. It provides for the establishment of a demilitarized zone 15 to 20 kilometers deep, Areas of control of regime forces and opposition factions.