US, Russia seek to revive Syria truce

WASHINGTON, April 29 (KUNA) -- The US government and Russia have been working to secure a general re-commitment to cessation of hostilities in Syria by all parties in Latakia and Eastern Ghouta, as of Friday midnight (Damascus time), White House press secretary said.
"Since the beginning of the cessation of hostilities, fighting has continued in the area of north Latakia and Eastern Ghouta, putting armed opposition groups there and in other areas controlled by the opposition under pressure," Josh Earnest said at a press briefing today.
"Persistent violations in this area are unacceptable and damaging," he stressed.
"It is our view that this essentially would be a refreshment of the cessation of hostilities, and getting both sides to commit to refreshing the commitments that they made in the context of the cessation of hostilities could have potentially a catalyzing effect," he said.
US officials would like to see a return to the situation in Syria that prevailed a couple of weeks ago, which was not an all-out end to the fighting, but a broad acceptance of the terms of the cessation of hostilities, he added. (end) rm.gb