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Agreement
reached on ceasefire in Syria & readiness to start peace talks -
Putin
RT,
28
December, 2016
Russian
President Vladimir Putin has confirmed agreement has been reached on
a ceasefire in Syria and the start of peace talks.
“This
agreement we’ve reached is very fragile, as we all understand. They
require special attention and patience, professional attitude, and
constant contact with our partners,”
Putin said at a meeting with Russian foreign and defense ministers.
The
agreement, which was previously announced by Turkey, is detailed in
three documents, Putin said.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
We welcome the understanding reached between the conflicting/warring parties in Syria on a country-wide ceasefire.
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-333_-29-december-2016_-press-release-regarding-the-announcement-of-country_wide-ceasefire-between-the-conflicting_warring-parties-in-syria.en.mfa …
“The
first was signed by the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition
to stop hostilities in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. The
second one is a set of measures to control the ceasefire. The third
document is a declaration of intention for Syrian settlement,”
the Russian president said.
“Great
work has been done in cooperation with our partners from Turkey. We
know that only recently there was a trilateral meeting in Moscow of
the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, and Iran, where all of the
nations made obligations not only to control, but also to act as
guarantors of the peace process in Syria.”
The
truce is supported by seven major armed opposition groups that have
over 60,000 fighters in their ranks, Russian Defense Minister Sergey
Shoigu said.
The
Russian Defense Ministry has released a list of the groups that have
pledged to stop fighting, which includes Faylaq Al-Sham, Ahrar
al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam, Thuwar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Muwahhideen, Jaysh
Idlib and Jabhat al-Shamiyah.
The
minister said under the deal any armed group that refuses to cease
hostilities would be considered a legitimate target for the use of
force, as is the case with terrorist groups Islamic State (IS,
formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Al-Nusra Front, which are not included in the truce.
Shoigu
added that if the agreement holds, it would allow Russia to scale
down its military presence in Syria.
Putin
said that such a pull-out would not mean a stop to Russia’s
international anti-terrorist effort.
Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the three nations are preparing a
meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, to pave the way for peace talks on
Syria.
Lavrov
said that the ceasefire agreement would be submitted to the UN
Security Council later on Thursday for potential endorsement.
“We
will inform UNSC members of the work we have done and answer their
questions,”
the Russian foreign minister said.
Meanwhile,
the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Turkey and Russia will act as
guarantors of the truce, which does not include groups designated as
terrorists by the United Nations.
Ankara
has called on all parties that can exert influence on armed groups to
support the ceasefire deal.
Damascus
has confirmed that it will observe the truce starting at midnight
local time on December 30 (22:00 GMT December 29).
Syrian
Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said the truce gave a "real
chance" to reach a political settlement to the Syrian conflict.
Javad Zarif
Ceasefire in Syria is a major achievement. Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror. My thoughts: https://goo.gl/UXJGs9
The
rebel National Coalition announced its support for the ceasefire
deal, AFP reported. Zakaria Malahifji, who represents the Free
Syrian Army-affiliated rebel group Fastaqim, has confirmed supporting
the truce to Reuters.
Osama
Abu Zaid, spokesman for the Free Syrian Army rebel alliance, said at
a news conference in Turkey that his group will also abide by the
terms.
Commenting
on the development, the US State Department described it as a
“positive development” and expressed hopes that the truce would
hold.
Steve Herman
"Any
effort that stops the violence, saves lives, and creates the
conditions for renewed and productive political negotiations would be
welcome," spokesman
Mark Toner said, as cited by Reuters. "We
hope it will be implemented fully and respected by all parties."
The
US was not part of the trilateral talks between Russia, Turkey and
Iran that resulted in the peace deal. Toner was previously grilled by
journalists, who asked him whether the US’s absence signified
dwindling influence of Washington over the situation in the Middle
East.
From the BBC
From the BBC
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