The State of Qatar has welcomed the ceasefire agreement in Syria, which will enter into force tomorrow, first day of Eid al-Adha.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the agreement reached by the US and Russian sides to declare a truce in Syria, if adhered to, would accelerate the pace of the political process and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Syrian cities.
The ministry, in its statement, expressed the hope that the implementation of the agreement would contribute to reaching a comprehensive and lasting political solution to end the crisis in Syria and help alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people, in accordance with the Security Council resolutions, 2254 and 2268 and the statement of Geneva 1.
The ministry’s statement added: “It is in the light of crimes perpetrated by the regime in Syria against the Syrian people and its ongoing attempts to undermine the agreement, we emphasise the need for the international community to take its responsibilities to compel the regime to implement the agreement, and to stop all forms of indiscriminate shelling and systematic forced displacement against civilians as well as to lift the blockade imposed on all Syrian cities.”
Turkey, which has sent dozens of tanks and hundreds of troops into Syria in an unprecedented incursion, also welcomed the deal between the United States and Russia for a ceasefire in its conflict-torn neighbour, adds AFP.
“We welcome the agreement,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.
Fighting must be halted across Syria and humanitarian aid reach those in need “from the first day” of the ceasefire, it said.
The statement said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had “closely followed” the process to secure the ceasefire, following talks with Russian and US counterparts Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 in China.
It said Turkey was already making preparations for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria’s northern Aleppo province and would make efforts to “ensure the effective implementation” of the ceasefire.
In a later telephone call, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also told US counterpart John Kerry, who helped broker the accord, of Ankara’s satisfaction over the deal.
“Minister Cavusoglu said Turkey would to everything it can to ensure the ceasefire is applied,” the foreign ministry said.
Cavusoglu had spoken to Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov late Friday ahead of the announcement of the deal, both sides said.
“They expressed mutual understanding of the importance of all parties concerned complying with the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of the inter-Syrian negotiation process,” the Russian foreign ministry said.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier lauded the new US-Russia deal on Syrian ceasefire as an opportunity to restart the political process.
“Now it all depends on a prompt implementation,” a statement quoted Steinmeier as saying.
“I call on parties to the conflict in Syria and in the region to stick to the agreement reached by Washington and Moscow and stop fighting on Monday at the latest.”
“If a nationwide ceasefire holds, it will be a real, new chance for urgent humanitarian access to hundreds of people in need. And it will provide opportunity for the UN-mediated negotiations on the political conflict settlement in Geneva,” he stressed.