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Russia welcomes Assad’s initiative on local ceasefire in Syria

The Syrian government is displaying readiness to get engaged in various processes related to the implementation of the Kofi Annan plan, Russian diplomat said

UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (Itar-Tass) – Russia welcomes the initiative on a ceasefire, which the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad made public at the talks with the UN and Arab League’s special envoy, Kofi Annan, a senior Russian diplomat told a group of reporters here Wednesday.

“President Assad sent a reassuring signal as he said the authorities are ready to make the first step and to stop combat operations in some areas where the situation is especially volatile,” said Alexander Pankin, First Deputy Chief of Russia’s mission to the UN.

“On the whole, the Syrian government is displaying readiness to get engaged in various processes related to the implementation of the Kofi Annan plan,” he said.

According to Pankin, Kofi Annan said at a teleconferenced briefing for the UN Security Council members that some positive shifts in the peace settlement process are visible already now.

For instance, testing of the ways of achieving local ceasefires has already begun in a number of regions where the situation is the most problematic.

Pankin recalled that Annan is expected to visit Moscow next week for meetings with Russian leadership.