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1st LD Writethru: UN Security Council hails partial truce deal on Syria

Xinhua, February 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN Security Council on Wednesday welcomed the U.S.-Russian agreement on partial ceasefire in Syria as "an important step toward alleviating" the suffering the Syrian people, who have been through dire humanitarian situation over the past five years since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in March 2011.

Ambassador Rafael Ramirez Carreno of Venezuela, who holds the rotating council presidency for this month, told reporters after a closed council meeting here that the 15 council members reiterate their call for "an immediate, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access" to the Syrian people in need, particularly those in the besieged areas in Syria.

The council president said that the closed council meeting touched upon the humanitarian situation in Syria.

Earlier Wednesday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here that the U.S.-Russian deal is seen as "the important first step" to ending the suffering of the Syrian people.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed an agreement as "a signal of hope" to end the Syrian conflict, which has been going on for nearly five years. The agreement was announced Monday by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the terms of a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria scheduled to come into effect on Feb. 27.

"The secretary-general strongly urges the parties to abide by the terms of the agreement," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

Kerry and Lavrov reached a provisional agreement on terms of a cessation of hostilities in Syria, where more than 250,000 people have been killed since March 2011. The two foreign ministers are co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) Ceasefire Taskforce formed in Munich, Germany.

Yet, the agreement, which excludes the Islamic State (IS), the Nusra Front or other terror organizations designated by the Security Council, still awaits commitment from Syria's warring government and armed opposition groups. It also leaves questions open on how to respond to breaches of the ceasefire. Enditem