De Mistura Urges Russia, Iran, Turkey to Take Measures to Uphold “Ceasefire” in Syria

GENEVA – UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura in a statement on Saturday expressed deep concern over growing violations in recent days that undermine “ceasefire” in Syria in the provinces of Damascus, Hama and other places in the country and urged Iran, Russia, Turkey and the United States to undertake urgent measures to uphold the ceasefire.

“The growing violations in recent days are undermining the ceasefire regime addressed through the Astana meetings, with significant negative consequences for the safety of Syrian civilians, humanitarian access and the momentum of the political process,” the statement reads, according to Sputnik.

 “In this context, he has addressed letters to the Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey, as the three guarantor-States of the ceasefire in Syria that came into effect on 30 December 2016. He appealed to them to undertake urgent efforts to uphold the ceasefire regime. He has also brought these appeals to the attention of the Russian Federation and the United States as the Co-Chairs of the International Syria Support Group,” the statement specifies.

According to the statement, de Mistura considers the joint efforts of Iran, Russia, Turkey “indispensable for improving the conditions on the ground and contributing to an environment conducive for a productive political progress.”

H.M