U.S., Russia agree to Syrian ceasefire to begin Saturday | |||||||||||
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//english.dbw.cn 2016-02-23 09:01:06 |
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![]() Syrian boys flash the victory sign in the war-ravaged town of Dukhaniyeh, east of Damascus, capital of Syria, on Nov. 14, 2015. Dukhaniyeh has witnessed intense battles between the Syrian troops and the armed rebels. International powers meeting in Vienna stressed Saturday the importance of establishing ceasefire in Syria. (Xinhua/Ammar) WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States and Russia announced Monday the plan for a cessation of hostilities in Syria that will begin on Feb. 27, the U.S. State Department said. In a joint statement, the two countries said the ceasefire agreement will not apply to "Daesh", also known as the Islamic State (IS), "Jabhat al-Nusra", or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council. Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the United States their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on Feb. 27, said the joint statement issued by the State Department. "I am gratified to see the final arrangements concluded today for a cessation of hostilities in Syria and call on all parties to accept and fully comply with its terms," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said. If implemented and adhered to, Kerry said, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas and support a political transition to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people. Russia and the U.S. are prepared to work together to exchange information and develop procedures necessary for preventing parties participating in the ceasefire from being attacked by Russia, the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition, and the Syrian government, said the joint statement. Russian and U.S. military actions, including airstrikes, will continue against IS, "Jabhat al-Nusra," and other terrorist organizations. Moscow and Washington will also establish a communication hotline and, if necessary and appropriate, a working group to exchange relevant information after the cessation of hostilities has gone into effect. "This is a moment of promise, but the fulfillment of that promise depends on actions," Kerry said. "We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead." Related: UN chief hails U.S.-Russian accord on Syria UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the agreement announced earlier in the day by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the terms of a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria scheduled to come into effect on Feb. 27. "The secretary-general strongly urges the parties to abide by the terms of the agreement," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman. Full story Lavrov, Kerry discuss conditions for hostilities cessation in Syria MOSCOW, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday continued discussion over phone on modalities for the cessation of hostilities in Syria. "The foreign ministers, as co-chairs of the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) meeting and in accordance with its Feb. 12 decisions, continued coordination of modalities and conditions for the cessation of hostilities in Syria except operations against organizations recognized as terrorist by the UN Security Council," said an online statement of Russian Foreign Ministry. Full story Provisional agreement on terms of ceasefire in Syria reached: Kerry AMMAN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said here on Sunday that a provisional agreement on the terms of a ceasefire in Syria has been reached with Russia. Speaking at a press conference in Amman, Kerry said the U.S. reached a deal with Russia over the truce in Syria and that a ceasefire agreement is likely to be announced very soon as well. Full story UN Security Council shelves Russia's proposal on Syria as peace progress falters NEW YORK, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Friday shelved Russia's proposal against the idea of sending ground forces to Syria, as international efforts to bring peace to the war-ridden country have stumbled. The UN Security Council met Friday afternoon to discuss a draft resolution broached by Russia over concerns about the deteriorating Syrian-Turkish border situation and Turkey's calls to send ground forces to Syria. Full story Meeting on ceasefire in Syria postponed: Russian FM MOSCOW, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The meeting on cessation of hostilities in Syria in the framework of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), which was scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "We will announce a new date later," RIA Novosti news agency quoted the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. She added that the ISSG members continued consultations on the issue. Full story |
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Author: Source:xinhua Editor:Yang Fan |