Brussels, 12/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - During the night of Thursday 11 to Friday 12 February, the members of the international Syria Support Group agreed to a cessation of hostilities in Syria within a week, and on increased access for humanitarian aid for the besieged areas from this week.
In their joint statement, which was adopted after a six-hour meeting, members of the group said that the cessation of hostilities will begin in a week, after confirmation by the Syrian government and opposition, following relevant consultations in Syria. A working group of this international Syria Support Group will concentrate on the modalities of the cessation of hostilities. This working group will work under the auspices of the United Nations and will be co-chaired by the Russian Federation and the USA. It will include members from the Syria Support Group who have an influence on the armed opposition groups or forces that support the Syrian government.
This cessation of hostilities will have to apply to all parties involved in the military and paramilitary hostilities, except if these are targeting the Daesh and Jabhat al-Nusra groups or another group designated by the United Nations Security Council as a terrorist organisation. The members of the Syria Support Group also commit to exercising influence for an immediate and significant reduction in violence.
The members of the Group add that although the cessation of hostilities can facilitate humanitarian access, this cannot be a pre-condition for this access throughout Syria. Humanitarian aid should be sent to the besieged areas by plane or land from this week. The members of the Syria Support Group will use their influence on the parties so that these allow immediate and lasting humanitarian access for all in need. A humanitarian working group of the international Syria Support Group, including the EU, met in Geneva on Friday afternoon to discuss this humanitarian access and the delivery of humanitarian aid in more concrete terms.
The Syria Support Group also stated that it was imperative for all the parties to commit to the negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations as soon as possible, saying that the Group's members will do their utmost to facilitate swift progression of the negotiations. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)