Off the wire
• Xinhua China news advisory -- May 5  • Across China: Grain images portray better rural life  • China Hushen 300 index futures open lower Friday  • China treasury bond futures open lower Friday  • Market exchange rates in China -- May 5  • Chinese yuan strengthens to 6.8884 against USD Friday  • Hoffenheim game like a final, says Reus  • Spurs' Tony Parker out for rest of the season  • Ligue 1 bottom-dwellers Bastia suffer triple punishment for fan violence  • World champion Selby named snooker Player of the Year  
You are here: 　 Home

2nd LD Writethru: UN chief hopes Syrian accord ends violence

Xinhua, May 5, 2017 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday he "is encouraged" by an agreement reached earlier in the day aimed at ending the violence in Syria and "it will be crucial to see this agreement actually improve the lives of Syrians."

Countries that act as guarantors of a truce in Syria -- Russia, Turkey and Iran -- on Thursday approved in Astana, Kazakhstan, a memorandum to set up four safe zones in Syria and will outline the maps by June 4.

"The secretary-general welcomes the commitments to ceasing the use of all weapons, particularly aerial assets; to rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access; and to creating conditions for the delivery of medical aid and meeting civilians' basic needs," said a statement issued here by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

"The commitments made should not affect the rights of Syrians to seek and enjoy asylum," it added.

The Syrian government supported the plan, but Syrian opposition announced it would not accept it, saying the pact threatens Syria's territorial integrity.

Russia and Iran have been backing Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey backs Syrian rebels. The six-year war in Syria has cost more than 320,000 lives.

"The UN will continue to support de-escalation within the framework of the Security Council resolutions on Syria," the statement said. "The UN has also been proactively supporting discussions in Astana regarding detainees and humanitarian demining."

Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, is in consultation with all concerned parties as he finalizes the date for the next round of the intra-Syrian talks, the statement said.

The intra-Syrian talks taking place in Geneva, held in parallel to the Astana talks, are seeking a political solution to the six-year conflict in the Middle East country.

The discussions are guided by UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015), focusing on matters of governance, a schedule and process to draft a new constitution and the holding of elections as the basis for a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned process to end the conflict. Endi