MOSCOW, February 23. /TASS/. Russia’s Communist Party welcomes Russian-US agreements on settlement of Syrian crisis, the party’s leader Gennady Zyuganov said on Tuesday.
"Our party welcomes agreement on peaceful resolution of the Syrian problem," Zyuganov said. He added that "our Armed Forces made a decisive contribution when they showed and proved in several months that issues of fighting bandits that seized whole states in the Middle East, can be solved."
Russia is the only country in the world "that had to spend 700 years out of its 1,000-year history fighting and campaigning, defending its independence, its land, its culture, its faith," Zyuganov noted adding that the Russian army is "the Second Temple." ‘We remember the great feats of our victor fathers and grandfathers, and we will do everything possible to make the army strong, dignificed and continuing best military traditions," he said.
Cessation of hostilities is due to come into force in Syria on February 27, a joint statement of the United States and Russia said. The statement was released by the U.S. Department of State on Monday. "The cessation of hostilities commence at 00:00 (Damascus time) on February 27, 2016," the joint statement said.
"The United States of America and the Russian Federation, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and seeking to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis with full respect for the fundamental role of the United Nations, are fully determined to provide their strongest support to end the Syrian conflict and establish conditions for a successful Syrian-led political transition process, facilitated by the UN," it said.
The statement points out that the cessation of hostilities is to be applied to all parties to the Syrian conflict but for Daesh (the Arabic acronym for Islamic State) and Jebhat an-Nusra (both are banned in Russia) "or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council."
Russia's military operation in Syria
Russia’s Aerospace Force started delivering strikes in Syria at facilities of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups (both banned in Russia) on September 30, 2015. The air group initially comprised over 50 aircraft and helicopters, including Sukhoi Su-24M, Su-25SM and state-of-the-art Su-34 aircraft. They were redeployed to the Khmeimim airbase in the province of Latakia. On October 7, Moscow also involved the Russian Navy in the military operation. Four missile ships of the Caspian Flotilla fired 26 Kalibr cruise missiles (NATO codename Sizzler) at militants’ facilities in Syria.