Spotlight: Int'l meeting on Syria focuses on better implementation of cease-fire deal

World powers gathered Tuesday in Vienna to put the Syria peace process back on track, urging parties concerned to enhance nationwide cessation of hostilities and humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged country.

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, amid continued violence between Syrian army and the rebel groups on several fronts.

In a joint statement after the meeting attended by the United States, European and Middle East countries that oppose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as well as Russia and Iran which support him, the powers called for a full cessation of hostilities and access for aid.

In stronger language than in the past, the participants warned the warring factions not to repeatedly broke the truce, and also directed the UN's World Food Programme to airdrop food, medicine and water to besieged communities starting on June 1 if humanitarian access was denied by either side.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that fighting terrorism is a top priority in Syria, not overturning the Bashar al-Assad government.

At a press conference after the Syria talks in Vienna, Lavrov said some people should not expect the fall of al-Assad's government before combating terrorist groups in the region, as the fall of the government would not lead to the collapse of terrorism in Syria.

The Russian minister also told reporters that Moscow did not protect any specific person in Syria, noting some Western sanctions were negative as they could cause a humanitarian crisis in Syria.

China calls for enhanced international efforts to ensure further positive achievements in promoting the political process of the Syria issue, China's special envoy for the Syrian issue Xie Xiaoyan said Tuesday after attending the meeting.

China, Xie said, calls on ISSG members to intensify their efforts in implementing the agreement on a cessation of hostilities, combating terrorism, improving the humanitarian situation in Syria as well as in promoting efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in the country.

The diplomat added that China would continue to play a constructive role in politically solving the Syria conflict with an objective and fair stance.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Tuesday for determined efforts in solving the conflict in Syria in the face of difficulties hindering a full cease-fire.

"No one is satisfied with the current situation in Syria... There is a lot of work to do," Kerry said, adding it was hard to bring about a real cease-fire in Syria despite consistent international efforts.

"We have a framework for peace. The biggest challenge we have now is the put-in-place of the plan," he said.

The diplomat noted that continued conflict in Syria, which also leads to a large number of migrants fleeing the country, was harmful for everyone.

Ahead of the meeting, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that 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.

In Syria, battles continued on Tuesday on several fronts.

The Syrian army has temporarily cut off the road between the capital Damascus and the southern province of Daraa, after the rebels in the town of Khan al-Shih approached the road, prompting the Syrian army to unleash an offensive against that area.

In the central province of Homs, the Syrian army advanced toward the al-Shaer gas field, which was recently taken by the Islamic State (IS) group.

The pro-government Sham FM radio said the military forces reached the gates of the gas field, which has changed hands between the IS and the Syrian army in the eastern countryside of Homs.

In the northern city of Aleppo, the rebels continued to shell residential areas in the government-controlled part west of Aleppo, local media said.

State news agency SANA said one woman was killed and 11 people were wounded on Tuesday when two mortar shells struck the al-Hamadaniyeh in Aleppo city.

Meanwhile, SANA said three civilians were killed and 14 others wounded, including women and children, when the IS terror group shelled the al-Qusur and al-Jura neighborhoods in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour.

In the southern province of Swaida, SANA said the competent authorities confiscated a vehicle full of explosives as well as Israeli and U.S.-made weaponry headed to the eastern desert, where the rebels are positioned.

In the eastern countryside of Damascus, rebels-on-rebels fighting have flared up on Tuesday.

Pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said 50 rebels were killed in the infighting that has erupted between the so-called Islam Army on one side, and the Failaq al-Rahman, the Jaish al-Fustat, and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front on the other. Endi