Vienna Syria talks "important, urgent" for ceasefire, peace talks: German FM

Ahead of an international meeting on Syria, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said here Tuesday that he hoped the Syria talks would help better implement the agreed ceasefire.

Under the co-chairmanship of the United States and Russia, the fifth International Syria Support Group (ISSG) ministerial meeting is being held in Vienna, Austria, to discuss the enhancement of a nationwide cessation of hostilities in war-ravaged Syria.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the talks, Steinmeier said relative peace had been achieved in Syria since the last ISSG meeting held in February in the German city of Munich.

"We have seen a certain calming of combat actions in many parts of Syria in the past three months ... We have seen that relief supplies have become possible in many areas where people were completely cut off from supplies," he said.

Participants at Tuesday's meeting are scheduled to discuss how to create conditions for a better implementation of the agreed ceasefire nationwide. The meeting will also focus on measures to bring the Syrian opposition back to the peace talks, the foreign minister said.

The minister said Tuesday's meeting is "important and urgent," and expressed the hope of achieving success in pushing forward a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict. Endi