Brende: – We need to see the details of the ceasefire agreement

Foreign Minister Børge Brende.Photo: Jon Olav Nesvold / NTB scanpix

It is positive to have the ceasefire agreement in Syria and it can contribute to a stop in the fighting, said Foreign Minister Børge Brende. However much of the agreement is still unclear, he said.

The Syrian military and rebels confirmed that they will suspend all military operations from midnight on Friday.

– Earlier agreements on ceasefire have partly collapsed because the parties on the ground have not been included in negotiations. We must now see the details of the deal, said Brende to news agency NTB.

– It is important that such an agreement takes into account all sides in this conflict if it is to be sustainable, he added.

The humanitarian situation in Syria is very serious, said Brende.
– If this agreement can help ensure that the fighting stops, it is positive. Much of the agreement is still unknown, he said.

Brende stressed that it is important to get the crucial parties to the negotiating table to find political solutions to the civil war, which has now lasted for almost six years and cost over 300,000 lives.

It is important that both Russia and Turkey stress that their initiative will support the United Nations efforts. The Security Council has laid down the framework for such negotiations, it is important that these be applied going forward, says the Minister.

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today

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