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Conflict in Syria

Moscow platform upbeat on prospects of Syrian ceasefire — opposition leader

According to Qadri Jamil, the recent statement of US President Barack Obama signals that Washington seeks to strengthen ceasefire despite the wish of some regional powers

© Valeriy Sharifulin/TASS

GENEVA, April 25. /TASS/. Ceasefire in Syria has been effective for almost two months despite all the statements that it is fragile and this gives grounds for optimism, a representative of the Moscow platform (part of Moscow-Cairo opposition group), Qadri Jamil told TASS on Monday.

CONFLICT IN SYRIA

"Since the first day of the ceasefire everyone has been saying that it is fragile. However, it is observed somehow," said Jamil, who is also one of the leaders of Syria’s Popular Front for Change and Liberation.

Jamil also said the recent statement of US President Barack Obama signals that Washington seeks to strengthen ceasefire despite the wish of some regional powers. "We hope for the better."

Obama said last week that the ceasefire in Syria held longer than he had expected. Several days earlier, Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the ceasefire in Syria in a phone conversation. Moscow and Washington called for observing ceasefire.

However, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Friday the ceasefire in Syria was facing serious difficulties and called for urgent efforts to keep it in force.

The ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States on February 22 officially came into effect in Syria at midnight Damascus time on February 27. This does not cover terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, both outlawed in Russia, and other groups recognized as terrorist by the United Nations Security Council.

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