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Putin: Syrian Ceasefire set to start at Midnight
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The agreement does not extend to terrorist groups like Islamic State (ISIS) or Fatah al Sham, formerly called Nusra Front. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday the start of a new ceasefire between rebel groups and the Bashar al-Assad regime. The cessation of hostilities will take effect at midnight from Thursday into Friday local time. Russia, which supports Asad, and Turkey, the main supporter of those who rose against him in 2011, will be the guarantors of the truce. The agreement does not extend to terrorist groups like Islamic State (ISIS) or Fatah al Sham, formerly called Nusra Front. “With this agreement, the parties have agreed to cease all armed attacks, including air strikes, and we have promised not to expand the areas under their control,” a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. The spokesman for the opposition Coalition, Ahmad Ramadan, has told France Presse that they accept the terms of the cease-fire. “The National Coalition supports the agreement, and calls on all parties to submit to it,” he said. However, the foreign affairs chief of the powerful Ahrar al-Sham rebel group, Labib Nahhas, has told Al Jazeera that they have not yet received the draft truce proposal. According to the Arab milieu, it is not clear which groups have taken part in the negotiations. Putin, during a meeting with several of his ministers, announced that three documents had been signed: the first between the Government and the armed opposition on the ceasefire throughout Syria; the second details the measures to control the cessation of hostilities, and the third is the statement that they are ready to begin peace talks to find a solution to the Syrian problem. The Syrian conflict has lasted almost six years and cost the lives of at least 300,000 people. “We understand very well that all the agreements reached are very fragile, demand great attention and patience, professional attitude and constant contact with our partners in the region,” Putin said. The Russian president recalled that Russia, Turkey and Iran already committed 10 days ago, after a tripartite meeting in Moscow of the foreign ministers, “not only to control the process of peaceful solution but also to be their guarantors.” Putin’s announcement confirms that for the first time in recent history, the United States government was left out of the negotiations, so all credit for any positive result will be due to Iran, Russia and the Assad regime’s efforts in the same way as if the result is negative, all blame will be pinned on the three partners who brokered the deal. The agreement follows the victory of the Syrian Army and its allies, largely thanks to Russian air support in the battle of Aleppo, where the insurgents were recently expelled. Supporters of al-Asad have taken full control of what was Syria’s economic capital after the evacuation of more than 200,000 civilians, rebels and their families. President Putin has also announced the reduction of the Russian military presence in the Arab country after the ceasefire agreement. “I agree with the Defense proposal on the reduction of our military presence in Syria, bearing in mind that, of course, we will continue the fight against international terrorism,” said the Russian president, after his Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, explained that after the ceasefire all conditions exist to reduce the number of Russian soldiers. The aim of the agreement is to achieve a solution in line with UN Security Council resolution 2254 and underlines that Turkey will support this peace process in the hope that soon the parties involved in the conflict – the Damascus regime and The Syrian opposition – will meet “under the patronage of the guarantor countries” in the Kazakh capital to advance the political solution.
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