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06:32 GMT
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (KUNA) -- At its meeting in Munich on Thursday and Friday, the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) decided that humanitarian access will commence this week to besieged areas, and an ISSG task force will within one week elaborate procedures for a nationwide cessation of hostilities, the State Department announced.
The group consists of the Arab League, China, Egypt, the European Union, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and the United States.
The ISSG members unanimously committed to immediately facilitate the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which was adopted unanimously in December.
"The ISSG reaffirmed their readiness to carry out all commitments set forth in the resolution, including to: ensure a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition based on the Geneva Communiquأ© in its entirety; press for the end of any indiscriminate use of weapons; support and accelerate the agreement and implementation of a nationwide cease-fire; facilitate immediate humanitarian access to besieged and hard-to-reach areas and the release of any arbitrarily detained persons; and fight terrorism," the statement said.
In order to accelerate the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid, sustained delivery of assistance shall begin this week by air to Deir Ez Zour and simultaneously to Fouah, Kafrayah, the besieged areas of Rural Damascus, Madaya, Mouadhimiyeh and Kafr Batna by land, and continue as long as humanitarian needs persist, the statement said.
"Humanitarian access to these most urgent areas will be a first step toward full, sustained and unimpeded access throughout the country, it said.
The ISSG reaffirmed that humanitarian access should not benefit any particular group over any other, but shall be granted by all sides to all people in need, it said.
The ISSG members agreed that a nationwide cessation of hostilities must be urgently implemented, and should apply to any party currently engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities against any other parties other than Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra or other groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security Council, the statement said.
The members of the ISSG "reaffirmed the imperative of all sides engaging in negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations as soon as possible, in strict compliance with United Nations Security Council 2254," the statement said. "They reaffirmed that it is for the Syrian people to decide the future of Syria."(end)
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