Spotlight: Russian experts see challenges in implementing Munich agreement on Syria

The agreement reached Friday in Germany's Munich among members of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) marked a significant step toward a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis, but its implementation faces many challenges, Russian experts said.

At the heart of the Munich agreement are plans to initiate a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria soon, and deliver humanitarian aid to besieged areas in the country.

As parties are working out the details, Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the Russian magazine National Defense, said he is skeptical about the prospects of implementing the agreement.

"I have serious doubt that Syria's opposition groups, backed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United States and other countries, will observe a cease-fire," Korotchenko told Xinhua.

Noting that all efforts for peace in Syria should be supported, Korotchenko said that to resolve the Syria crisis, the priority should be the total destruction of the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups.

Viktor Kremenyuk, an expert with the USA-Canada Institute at the Russian Academy of Science, said that although Moscow and Washington are the main drivers at the ISSG meeting in Munich, neither side would like to make concessions regarding Syria.

Other regional countries involved in the issue, like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are unwilling to back down either, he added.

In a sign that a truce in Syria could be hard to come by, Turkey has bombed northern Syria for two consecutive days after the Munich agreement was reached. Turkey's move triggered condemnation from Syria and prompted calls from Washington and Paris to cease shelling on Syria.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday that Turkey's weekend bombing of Syrian territory should be assessed by the UN Security Council.

Calling the move as provocative, the ministry also accused Ankara of facilitating illegal crossings of terrorists into Syria and providing direct support to international terrorism.

Commenting on Turkey's declared interests for sending ground troops into Syria, Korotchenko, a retired colonel of the Russian military's General Staff, said such a move runs counter to international law and should be regarded as aggression.

Nikolai Kozhanov, an expert at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said the Munich agreement should be considered rather as a basis for a future settlement.

He explained that a cease-fire would only be possible in places where opposition forces demonstrate willingness to negotiate.

While many are pessimistic about the prospects of the implementation of the Munich agreement, such skepticism was eased a bit on Sunday following a telephone conversation between the leaders of Russia and the United States.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, agreed to remain in contact on the important work of the ISSG.

Senior officials from various ISSG members have urged all parties involved to abide by their commitment in Munich.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the agreement was hard-won and should be earnestly implemented.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev also expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for international cooperation on the issue of Syrian reconciliation.

"There should be a common decision on when to stop military action. This should be our objective," Medvedev said. Endi