ID :
398315
Thu, 02/25/2016 - 12:10
Auther :

Postponing start of ceasefire in Syria not on agenda - Russian deputy foreign minister

MOSCOW, February 25. /TASS/. Postponing the date of starting ceasefire in Syria is not on the agenda, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Thursday. Commenting on media reports that the start of ceasefire may be postponed to March 1, Bogdanov said: "Military actions should be stopped from 12am (1am Moscow time) on February 27." The Komsomoskaya Pravda newspaper published a copy of an application form that commanders of Syrian opposition groups need to sign when joining the ceasefire regime. The document lists March 1 as the date when ceasefire enters into force. In particular, the signatory pledges "to stop military actions against Syrian army and cease using artillery and other types of weapons" from March 1. The document adds that the Syrian army will also stop military actions from March 1 in the region controlled by this particular opposition group. On Monday night Russia and the United States released a joint statement saying that the ceasefire will take effect in Syria at 00:00 Damascus Time on February 27. "The United States of America and the Russian Federation, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and seeking to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis with full respect for the fundamental role of the United Nations, are fully determined to provide their strongest support to end the Syrian conflict and establish conditions for a successful Syrian-led political transition process, facilitated by the UN," the joint statement of the United States and Russia said. The statement points out that the cessation of hostilities is to be applied to all parties to the Syrian conflict but for Daesh (the Arabic acronym for Islamic State) and Jebhat an-Nusra (both are banned in Russia) "or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council." Read more

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