Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russian Federation 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 (1000 GMT) on February 27, according to a joint statement issued by the U.S. State Department.
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President Barack Obama struck a cautious tone after meeting Wednesday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II.
Syria’s president has reassured Russian Federation that he is ready to support the implementation of a ceasefire due to begin on Saturday. The Kremlin described the calls as an effort to explain the substance of the U.S.-Russia-brokered ceasefire. The deal does not include Islamic State or the Nusra Front, an al Qaeda affiliate which is widely deployed in opposition-held areas.
An accord between the US and Russian Federation to scale back violence in Syria starting this weekend is the best opportunity to keep the country intact as a five-year-old civil war rages, Secretary of State John Kerry said.
Daraya is the largest rebel bastion west of Damascus where fighting is still taking place, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.
“There would be a dialogue which would lead to the formation of a new government with the participation of some opposition parties after the settlement of the situation on ground”.
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.
The Syrian government has confirmed they are going to abide by the ceasefire, and today the Kurdish YPG also affirmed their intention to go along with the deal.
The Turkish armed forces shelled YPG positions in northern Syria in the days after the Ankara bombing and launched air strikes on PKK camps in northern Iraq, as the government vowed that those responsible would pay the price.
The ceasefire agreement calls on all signatories to allow for the distribution of humanitarian aid, along with an end to all sieges and the release of all detainees, particularly women and children.
A statement obtained by Reuters from the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee said it “views a temporary two-week truce as a chance to establish how serious the other side is in committing to the points of the agreement”.
While welcoming “all efforts to put a halt to the deaths and bombardment of civilians”, the opposition criticised the initiative’s failure “to specify clearly the regions not covered” by the ceasefire. Washington called on the widest range of opposition groups to get behind the ceasefire.
Officials say that factions have until noon Friday to announce whether or not they intend to take part in the ceasefire.
Al Jazeera’s James Bays, reporting from the United Nations headquarters in NY, said the timing of the discussion of aid deliveries is important.
The UN said it had carried out its first humanitarian airdrop to civilians on Wednesday, with 21 tonnes of assistance delivered to residents of the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, where regime-held areas are besieged by IS.
“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.
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In a further reflection of the complicated terrain, Turkey’s president said Wednesday that a U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish militia group – which Turkey regards as a terror organization – should also be kept outside of the scope of the agreement.
