Syria ceasefire plan adopts by UN Security Council.
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The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution
welcoming and supporting the efforts by Russia and Turkey to end
violence in Syria and jumpstart a political process for the war-torn
Middle East country.
“The draft resolution has been unanimously adopted as resolution 2336,” President of the Security Council for December, Roman Marchesi (Spain) said, according to a document obtained by the Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the UN.
Also in the resolution, the Council “takes note of” the documents issued by Russia and Turkey about the agreements the two countries have brokered, including a nationwide ceasefire and a plan to convene political talks in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, between the Syrian Government and opposition groups, in January.
The Council “looks forward to” that meeting in Astana, viewing it as “an important part of the Syrian-led political process” and “an important step ahead of the resumption of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva on Feb. 8, 2017”.
Western members of the SecurityCouncil had sought changes to the draft resolution circulated by Russia and Turkey during consultations on Saturday morning to clarify the role of the UN and the meaning of the agreement brokered by Moscow and Ankara.
The final text dropped an endorsement of the Syria cease-fire agreement brokered by Moscow and Ankara, and it changed the draft to call the Astana meeting “an important step ahead of the resumption of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva on Feb. 8, 2017”.
On Friday, Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said Moscow hoped the Security Council would take up a vote and unanimously adopt a draft resolution on Syria, which was based on talks and documents issued in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had also announced on Thursday that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and on readiness to start peace talks.
Putin called on the Syrian government, armed opposition and all countries with influence on the situation in the Arab republic to support the reached agreements and to take part in the anticipated talks in Astana.
A nationwide ceasefire between the Syrian government and opposition factions came into force at midnight on Friday.
Russia and Turkey serve as guarantors of the ceasefire deal, which paves the way for negotiations between the warring parties.
Russia and Turkey are on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, with Moscow along with Iran providing crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels.
Divisions in the Security Council between veto-wielding members of the Security Council – Russia and China on one side and the Western powers: the U.S. Britain and France who support the moderate opposition and demand that Assad steps down, on the other side — had blocked action to end the war.
Russia and Turkey first sent the cease-fire agreement and the draft resolution to Security Council members on Thursday night.
After closed discussions at the Council on Friday morning, Churkin, Russia’s Permanent Representative, circulated a revised draft, urging Council members to support it and called for the vote on Saturday.
The Security Council needs to participate “in this important process,” Churkin had said.
The cease-fire agreement, if it holds, would mark a potential breakthrough in a conflict that began in 2011 with an uprising against decades of rule by Assad’s family and has left over 250,000 dead and more than 13.5 million people in need of urgent assistance, and triggered a refugee crisis across Europe.
“The draft resolution has been unanimously adopted as resolution 2336,” President of the Security Council for December, Roman Marchesi (Spain) said, according to a document obtained by the Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the UN.
Also in the resolution, the Council “takes note of” the documents issued by Russia and Turkey about the agreements the two countries have brokered, including a nationwide ceasefire and a plan to convene political talks in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, between the Syrian Government and opposition groups, in January.
The Council “looks forward to” that meeting in Astana, viewing it as “an important part of the Syrian-led political process” and “an important step ahead of the resumption of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva on Feb. 8, 2017”.
Western members of the SecurityCouncil had sought changes to the draft resolution circulated by Russia and Turkey during consultations on Saturday morning to clarify the role of the UN and the meaning of the agreement brokered by Moscow and Ankara.
The final text dropped an endorsement of the Syria cease-fire agreement brokered by Moscow and Ankara, and it changed the draft to call the Astana meeting “an important step ahead of the resumption of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva on Feb. 8, 2017”.
On Friday, Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said Moscow hoped the Security Council would take up a vote and unanimously adopt a draft resolution on Syria, which was based on talks and documents issued in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had also announced on Thursday that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and on readiness to start peace talks.
Putin called on the Syrian government, armed opposition and all countries with influence on the situation in the Arab republic to support the reached agreements and to take part in the anticipated talks in Astana.
A nationwide ceasefire between the Syrian government and opposition factions came into force at midnight on Friday.
Russia and Turkey serve as guarantors of the ceasefire deal, which paves the way for negotiations between the warring parties.
Russia and Turkey are on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, with Moscow along with Iran providing crucial military support to Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has long served as a rear base and source of supplies for the rebels.
Divisions in the Security Council between veto-wielding members of the Security Council – Russia and China on one side and the Western powers: the U.S. Britain and France who support the moderate opposition and demand that Assad steps down, on the other side — had blocked action to end the war.
Russia and Turkey first sent the cease-fire agreement and the draft resolution to Security Council members on Thursday night.
After closed discussions at the Council on Friday morning, Churkin, Russia’s Permanent Representative, circulated a revised draft, urging Council members to support it and called for the vote on Saturday.
The Security Council needs to participate “in this important process,” Churkin had said.
The cease-fire agreement, if it holds, would mark a potential breakthrough in a conflict that began in 2011 with an uprising against decades of rule by Assad’s family and has left over 250,000 dead and more than 13.5 million people in need of urgent assistance, and triggered a refugee crisis across Europe.
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