Turkey- World powers agree on 'cessation' aid plan for Syria
Date
2/12/2016 9:17:50 AM
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) World powers have agreed on a plan for a ‘cessation of hostilities’ in Syria but have stopped short of securing a cease-fire a move sought by the Syrian opposition to end Russian airstrikes on rebel-held Aleppo. Foreign ministers in the International Syria Support Group also agreed to expand delivery of humanitarian aid during their talks in Munich.
After a flurry of bilateral meetings the full International Syria Support Group sat down and crafted a plan to launch a ‘cessation of hostilities’ targeted to begin in one week. “That’s ambitious but everybody is determined to move as rapidly as possible to try to achieve this” said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. In a news conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and the U.N. envoy Steffan de Mistura Kerry said a cease-fire carried legal prerogatives that would not apply to a cessation. The group also said the cessation would not apply to terrorist organizations some of which were near the besieged city of Aleppo according to Russia. “The western suburbs of Aleppo are still being controlled together with Jabhat al-Nusra Jaish al Islam and Ahrar Islam” said Lavrov. The group agreed to expand relief efforts in Syria where a humanitarian crisis has worsened as a result of the Russian-backed Syrian government bombings over Aleppo which have forced thousands of civilians to seek refuge near the Turkish border. Some such as Paul Salem of the Middle East Institute say more needs to be done. “I think the issue of creating a safe zone or safe zones in Syria needs to remain or come back to the table in a big way. Turkey has over two million refugees” said Salem. Some world powers have been cool to the idea of safe zones. The International Syria Support Group did agree to convene a task force that will work to ensure that humanitarian access is granted to those in need.
By Pamela Dockins
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