Off the wire
• 1st LD-Writethru: Police searching for illegal fundraiser Gu Zhuoheng  • PNG outsources costs of APEC summit venue to Australia's oil producer  • Climate change, sluggish economy among numerous challenges facing Vietnam: PM  • Iraqi forces attack IS-held town in campaign for Mosul  • China's express delivery sector continues to grow  • Officials pledge closer cooperation between China's northeast, Russia's Far East  • Fossil leaves proof of previous Antarctic ice meltdown: New Zealand scientist  • Analyst says British drills in Malvinas complicate situation, but not worth fuss  • News Analysis: Steady Q3 economic growth makes room for deleveraging efforts  • 1st LD-Writethru: Chinese shares barely budge on Thursday  
You are here: 　 Home

Russia ready to extend humanitarian pause in Syria as long as possible: Putin

Xinhua, October 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday in Berlin that his country is ready to extend the humanitarian pause in the Syrian city of Aleppo as long as possible, the Interfax news agency reported.

"We have informed the other sides of our intention to extend the pause in airstrikes in Syria for as long as possible...We are ready to do it until we encounter an intensification of activities of armed groups entrenched in Aleppo," Putin was quoted by Interfax as saying after a meeting in the German capital city with leaders of Germany and France on the Syrian conflict.

An 11-hour humanitarian pause has come into force in the besieged city of Aleppo from 8:00 am (0500 GMT) on Thursday, with a number of armed rebels as well as wounded, sick and aged people exiting eastern Aleppo through the passages identified by the Syrian army and the Russian side.

Russia announced an eight-hour humanitarian pause in strikes against rebel-controlled areas in Aleppo on Monday, and decided on Wednesday to extend it for three hours at the request of international organizations. Endi