13/01/2014 18:15
Aleppo ceasefire, prisoner exchange mulled ahead of Syrian peace conference
As the US, Russia and the UN are struggling to bring parties in the Syrian armed conflict together for peace talks, some trust-building gestures, including prisoner exchange and a possible localized ceasefire are being negotiated, RT reports.
The possibility of such moves, as well as providing humanitarian assistance to some parts of Syria, were discussed in Paris by US Secretary of State John Kerry, his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and UN’s special envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi.
Initiating measures toward deescalating the Syrian conflict would send a positive message and pave the way towards a fruitful peace conference, which is to be held later this month in Switzerland, both Kerry and Lavrov said at a media conference.
Prisoner exchange may be a simpler goal to achieve. Armed opposition forces are preparing lists of Syrian army soldiers and officials in their captivity, Kerry said. A similar preparation is underway in Damascus.
Achieving a total ceasefire would probably be unrealistic under the circumstances, but both US and Russia are suggesting a localized ceasefire, which would serve as a test for the readiness of both sides to curb violence.
"We talked today about the possibility of trying to encourage a ceasefire. Maybe a localized ceasefire in Aleppo," Kerry said.
Syria’s largest city Aleppo has been a scene of intensive fighting in the past few weeks.
A third important step would be providing humanitarian access to Syrian regions most affected by the violence, particularly the Damasucs suburbs of Ghouta. Foreign Minister Lavrov is negotiating such a move with Damascus, Kerry said.
Humanitarian access however would be difficult to provide, Lavrov stressed. Syrian militants are targeting foreigners, including aid workers, and have killed at least 32 members of various relief organizations trying to help Syrians, he said.