Syrian ceasefire with Russian backing key to peace talks, say European leaders

The Syrian ceasefire and its continued backing from Russia will help build a momentum behind peace talks in the war-torn country, European leaders have said. 

The truce, which is broadly holding, began last weekend. The leaders of Russia, Germany, France, Italy and the UK held a conference call on Friday in which they agreed to use the “positive dynamic” to restart peace talks, a spokesperson forDavid Cameron said. 

“The main point that the European leaders made on the call to [Russian president Vladimir] Putin was that we welcome the fact that this fragile truce appears to be holding,” the spokesman said.

“We have got to use this as a positive dynamic now to create some momentum behind the talks ... so we can move from a truce into a more lasting, durable peace with a political transition away from Assad.” Angela Merkel said in a news conference with François Hollande that Putin had told the others during the phone conference that Moscow is fully committed to the truce.

The German chancellor said: “I would like to stress one more time that the commitment to hold the ceasefire was confirmed as a key message by the Russian president.”

The five-year Syrian civil war, which began with the aim of overthrowing Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, has killed more than 250,000 Syrians and millions more have been forced from their homes, creating a massive refugee crisis for Lebanon, Turkey and the European Union. 

While pro-government fighters and opposition forces have agreed to stop fighting, the ceasefire does not include Islamic State militants or supporters ofJabhat al-Nusra, a group linked to al-Qaida.

This week’s truce was described as a “glimmer of hope” by Assad. However, the lull in fighting has seen widespread protests attended by thousands of people across the country. Demonstrators in parts of Aleppo, Damascus, Daraa and Homs called for the Syrian leader to step down.

The reduction in violence has also made aid deliveries easier in some areas of the country, but Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations Syria envoy, said that the Syrian government should be processing aid faster.

“Lorries are waiting for 36 hours,” de Mistura told the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat. “And medical aid must be allowed.”

On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation said Syrian officials had rejected the delivery of medical supplies, including trauma and burn kits and antibiotics, in a convoy to the besieged town of Moadamiya two days earlier.

The peace talks, which will be staggered over a few days, will begin next week and will be attended by members of the government, the opposition and civil society. Women will play a crucial role, de Mistura said.