Iran Hopeful about Ceasefire in Syria: Deputy FM
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs on Friday expressed the hope that the recent agreement made in the German city of Munich between key players involved in Syrian talks would lead to an immediate ceasefire in the war-hit country.
World leaders on Thursday convened in Munich and agreed to a plan to “cease hostilities” in Syria within a week and dramatically ramp up humanitarian access in the war-ravaged country.
“There were numerous discussions and challenges in the session, including the list of terrorist groups which has yet to be completed,” Hossein Amir Abdollahian noted, referring to the Thursday meeting.
“On the other hand, certain sides still insisted on their wrong policies,” he added, but at the same time noted that Iran is hopeful the ceasefire begins in terrorist-free areas in Syria and the humanitarian aid delivery is expedited.
The remarks came as a UN spokeswoman said representatives of 17 countries will meet in Geneva Friday afternoon for United Nations-hosted talks on how to ensure humanitarian access in war-ravaged Syria.
"The humanitarian group will meet today at 4:00 pm (1500 GMT)," Khawla Mattar, a spokeswoman for UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura.
At the Munich talks, the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) created two task forces to achieve the goals of the plan agreed upon by all countries involved in the negotiations.
The ISSG meeting, aimed at finding a solution to the nearly five years of conflict in Syria, started work in Munich on Thursday.
Ministers at Thursday's talks wrangled over three core issues: a gradual cessation of hostilities with a firm end date, humanitarian access to cities being besieged by both sides and a commitment that Syrian parties return to Geneva for political negotiations.
Diplomatic delegations from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Britain, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the US as well as the Arab League, the European Union and the United Nations attended the Munich talks.