US, Russia reach tentative agreement over Syria ceasefire
September 10, 2016  18:59
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The United States and Russia have agreed a tentative ceasefire deal for Syria, intended to lead the way to a joint air campaign against the Islamic State and other extremist groups and new political negotiations within the country.

The deal was announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov after 13 hours of talks in Geneva, reports the Guardian.

Both were cautious in describing the deal but said it was a possible 'turning point' after more than five years of a brutal war that has killed more than 4,00,000 people

'No one is building this based on trust. It is based on oversight, compliance, mutual interest. This is an opportunity, and not more than that until it becomes a reality,' said Kerry.

Lavrov described the situation in Syria as a 'quagmire' of multiple warring parties, some of whom would seek to undermine the US-Russian deal.

For that reason, he said, much of the deal would remain secret to prevent efforts at sabotage.Russia will do 'what depends on us', Lavrov promised.

Syria's mainstream opposition also welcomed the proposed deal on Saturday, saying the ceasefire could eventually end the suffering of the civilians.
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