If the truce holds from Monday, Russia and the United States will begin seven days of preparatory work to set up a “joint implementation center”, where they will share information to distinguish territory controlled by Nusra from that held by other rebel groups. It was hailed by the two leaders as a breakthrough in the quest to bring about a negotiated settlement to the five-year-old war.
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The United Nations’ Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura briefly joined Kerry and Lavrov on the podium in Geneva to welcome the U.S.
The ministry’s spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid urged Syrian conflicting parties “to put an end to the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people due to continuous violence and fighting and to pave the way for political talks”.
As exhausted journalists awaited news, Mr Lavrov took it upon himself to deliver boxes of pizza “from the USA delegation”, followed by two bottles of vodka “from the Russian delegation”.
If the just-announced plans hold, Kerry said, it could lead to political transition and reverse the current trend of “simply creating more terrorists, more extremists and destroying the country in the process”.
State news agency SANA on Saturday reported that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government “approved the agreement”.
Stumbling blocks in the negotiations were believed to hinge in part on disagreement between the Russian Federation and the US on which groups are unsafe extremists, and therefore are still considered legitimate targets despite the truce in other areas.
After a sustained period of reduced violence, Russian Federation and the United States would work together to develop military strikes against Nusra and the militant Islamic State, Kerry said.
Kodmani says mechanisms will be needed for the enforcement of the deal, including the “cessation of hostilities and the grounding (of) regime air forces”. After Lavrov said the Syrian government pledged to abide by the cease-fire, Kerry said Assad must be “prepared to live by these agreements, which is critical”.
Another 12 civilians were killed in unidentified strikes on several neighbourhoods of Aleppo city, and 18 people died in bombardment of other parts of Aleppo province, the Observatory said.
Activist Yasin Abu Raed, who is based in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, said the situation inside the local hospitals there is “miserable”.
Saturday’s violence shows that it might be hard to implement the U.S. -Russia agreement as both countries enjoy limited influence on the government and insurgent groups to cease the bombardment.
The war’s myriad combatants met the diplomatic developments with skepticism, as government warplanes pounded multiple areas, killing at least 85 people, insurgents declared new offensives and Turkish tanks rolled along the border.
A rebel fighter stands near a vehicle in Quneitra countryside, Syria September 10, 2016.
“Nobody among the Syrian population accepts this agreement…”
For many FSA rebels, the idea of a clear separation from Nusra is problematic because on several fronts they fight together against the army and allied Iranian-backed militias. The Pentagon said both Russian Federation and the regime must meet their commitments “before any potential military cooperation can occur”. “If there are no consequences to noncompliance, we are back to counting on the goodwill of a party that has never shown any goodwill”. “We are announcing an arrangement that we think has the capability of sticking, but it is dependent on people’s choices”. Mr Kerry acknowledged concerns.
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“No one is building this based on trust”, Kerry said.
