Cabinet minister Ali Haidar said the government will respect the cease-fire in principle, although he could not “speak on behalf of the armed groups”.
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The Kremlin said that Assad “confirmed the readiness of the Syrian government to facilitate the establishment of a ceasefire”.
The plan to halt the fighting does not include the Islamic State, which holds large swaths of territory in the northeast, nor will it apply to the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, whose fighters are among rebel groups in many parts of the north.
Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers he won’t vouch for the success of the newly struck cease-fire agreement in Syria but said the truce negotiated with Russian Federation is the best pathway for ending five years of violence that has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced another 11 million from their homes.
US officials point out that a cessation of hostilities is already enshrined in a United Nations resolution adopted unanimously in December and endorsing a peace process for Syria.
Syria’s government agreed on Tuesday to a ceasefire deal announced by the United States and Russian Federation after the opposition conditionally accepted but doubts persisted it could take effect by the weekend.
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The HNC also said the plan gave Moscow and Damascus the right to continue targeting “terrorist” groups in a way that allowed them to interpret United Nations classifications of terrorists according to their own agenda – which would result in their bombing other non-jihadist rebel groups represented in the wider opposition.
A deep mistrust of Russian Federation was evident throughout the hearing, as Republicans and Democrats both expressed concern Moscow would not abide by terms of the cease-fire and press on with an air campaign that has strengthened Syrian President Bashar Assad’s grip on power.
“Without Russia’s cooperation I’m not sure we would have been able to have achieved the agreement we have now or at least get the humanitarian assistance in”, Kerry said.
“The Russian side is not aware of any “plan B” that USA is talking about”.
“This work is not simple as it requires not only phone talks but also trips to sites to implement the ceasefire agreements and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people”, the ministry said.
The U.S. and Russian Federation said in a joint statement that any party engaged in conflict in Syria will indicate to Russian Federation or the U.S. their commitment to the ceasefire by no later than 12:00 (Damascus time) on Saturday.
Putin also had telephone conversations with key players in the Syrian conflict, including the leaders of Iran and Saudi Arabia who support opposing sides of the conflict.
But Damascus is warning that there will be “violations” from other groups.
“By controlling Syria’s borders, the entry of terrorists and the transfer of arms, financial, and logistical aid to terrorist groups should be blocked”, he added.
Assad called the proposals in the deal “an important step towards political settlement”, the Kremlin said in a statement.
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The state-run news agency said 18 people were killed in IS shelling of government-held neighborhoods in the city over the past 24 hours.
