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Syria safe zones on hold amid concern over how deal will be enforced
Source: The Guardian
Syria safe zones on hold amid concern over how deal will be enforced
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to meet US secretary
of state as west seeks assurances about ceasefire plan
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Tuesday 9 May 2017 13.07 BST
Russian-backed plans for de-escalation zones in Syria are on hold as the US, France and the UK seek further detail on how exactly the agreement will be enforced.
The deal, jointly signed by Russia, Iran and Turkey in Kazakhstan last week, agreed the establishment of four zones intended to halt conflict between government forces and rebels in key areas, and would potentially be policed by foreign troops.
However, the deal has offered little detail on the specifics of the enforcement and in an effort to provide assurances, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, will meet the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, on Wednesday in Washington, amid western diplomatic concerns about how the ceasefire will be enforced and monitored.
The Astana agreed ceasefire brokered by Russia, the US and Turkey is broadly holding, but Russia would like the formal political support of the UN Security Council for the agreement, something that requires the backing of permanent Security Council members such as the US.
The Syrian opposition has said it cannot accept a ceasefire agreement being enforced by Iran, as the Astana agreement proposes, while the government of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has vetoed a role for the UN or other international forces as peacekeepers.
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Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to meet US secretary
of state as west seeks assurances about ceasefire plan
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Tuesday 9 May 2017 13.07 BST
Russian-backed plans for de-escalation zones in Syria are on hold as the US, France and the UK seek further detail on how exactly the agreement will be enforced.
The deal, jointly signed by Russia, Iran and Turkey in Kazakhstan last week, agreed the establishment of four zones intended to halt conflict between government forces and rebels in key areas, and would potentially be policed by foreign troops.
However, the deal has offered little detail on the specifics of the enforcement and in an effort to provide assurances, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, will meet the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, on Wednesday in Washington, amid western diplomatic concerns about how the ceasefire will be enforced and monitored.
The Astana agreed ceasefire brokered by Russia, the US and Turkey is broadly holding, but Russia would like the formal political support of the UN Security Council for the agreement, something that requires the backing of permanent Security Council members such as the US.
The Syrian opposition has said it cannot accept a ceasefire agreement being enforced by Iran, as the Astana agreement proposes, while the government of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has vetoed a role for the UN or other international forces as peacekeepers.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/09/syria-safe-zones-on-hold-amid-concern-over-how-deal-enforced-russia-sergei-lavrov