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Conflict in Syria

German Foreign Ministry says long-term no-fly zone in Syria impossible

The ministry's spokesman stresses the US-Russian deal on Syria 'at least temporarily derailed'

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS, archive

BERLIN, Septebmer 26. /TASS/. The establishment of a long-term no-fly zone in Syria is impossible, Germany’s foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said on Monday.

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According to him, the proposal made by the German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stipulated only temporary flight restrictions in certain areas of Syria.

"To establish a no-fly zone involving the united military forces is absolutely impossible," he said.

Schaefer explained that Steinmeier’s proposal was aimed at ensuring the transition to the implementation of the second part of the US-Russian agreement.

"The US-Russian agreements envisaged that after a seven-day ceasefire many steps will be taken including the start of the military cooperation, joint establishment of targets in the war against IS and Jabhat al-Nusra (terrorist organizations outlawed in Russia)," Schaefer added.

"Last week in New York the parties failed to agree on the transition from the first stage to the second, so this proposal was made but Russia didn’t accept it," the German diplomatic spokesman concluded.

US-Russian deal on Syria 'temporarily derailed'

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Lavrov says West fails to meet its commitments on Syria

The diplomat said the US-Russian agreements on a ceasefire in Syria have been derailed.

"We must take into consideration the fact that the US-Russian agreements that we had welcomed last week, have been at least temporarily derailed," he said.

"Washington and Moscow need to reach a consensus on what is necessary to do and what can be done in order to restore the ceasefire, ensure the humanitarian aid access and hold talks on the transitional decision," Schaefer added. According to him, "it is not enough to just want it and express outrage at what is going on there."

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Syrian conflict

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