UK's Hammond: Russians can end hostilities in Syria if they want

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS Feb 15 (KUNA) -- EU's Foreign Ministers began a formal meeting here Monday to discuss among other issues the situation in Syria and Libya.Speaking to reporters as he arrived for the meeting Philip Hammond UK Foreign Secretary said "the Russians can end this if they want to. They can make this cessation of hostilities work by scaling down their bombings and redirecting it against the real terrorists rather than bombing the moderate opposition." On his part German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the "five-year long civil war has to end we cannot allow for tens of thousands new victims in the coming years." He noted that "the ceasefire between the opposition and the regime troops is even more difficult it depends mainly on the military contacts between the USA and Russia." On the refugee crisis he said that "at the moment discussions are positive if Turkey respects its commitments the flows won't stop completely but refugee numbers for 2016 will be lower than those of 2015." Meanwhile EU foreign ministers in a statement said "Somalia has entered a crucial year to consolidate political progress notably on the formation of interim regional administrations and to succeed in the electoral process by August 2016"."Further genuine progress depends on Somali-led inclusive and accountable political processes which should ensure participation of all including women and persons belonging to minorities" it noted.(end) nk.tg