BERLIN, October 18. /TASS/. The separation of the ‘moderate’ opposition from the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group should be real and not be confined to statements, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said commenting on Russia’s initiative to introduce a humanitarian pause in Syria.
"The airstrikes on Aleppo should be stopped. It is necessary that a clear separation of the opposition from Jabhat al-Nusra is backed by actions and not limited to words," he said.
"Halt of airstrikes on Aleppo announced by Moscow should be only a beginning," Steinmeier stressed.
However no matter how much-anticipated the temporary halt in airstrikes was, this "pause" was not enough to ensure the humanitarian aid deliveries to the besieged residents of Eastern Aleppo, the German foreign minister believes.
"I welcome the UN Security Council’s efforts to reach progress in coordinating the ceasefire conditions. We fully support the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura," the German top diplomat noted.
On October 17, the Russian military announced a humanitarian pause to be implemented on October 20 starting from 08:00 local time (5 am GMT) until 16:00 local time (1 pm GMT). The UN commented on the Russian initiative saying that it welcomed any cessation of hostilities. The US Department of State said it "would be a good thing" but "it's too little, too late."
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