LOC18:06
15:06 GMT
WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (KUNA) -- The US expressed optimism towards UN Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura's efforts to create a constitutional committee as the first step for new elections in Syria and reinvigorate the political process, said Special Representative for Syria Engagement, Ambassador James Jeffrey.
"We have a relative ceasefire throughout the country, and it's more or less - it's informal. I'm even reluctant to call it a ceasefire because it's not the sort of ceasefire called for in 2254, which devotes a good part of the resolution to that. But it's actually working," said Jeffrey to reporters.
He added that the increased risk of state-on-state violence incentivizes Turkey, Russia, and the US to further cooperate.
"Thirdly, the UN process has matured. We have the lists. People have cooperated to one or another degree with de Mistura, and there's a lot of pressure from essentially what we call the Small Group - the Europeans and folks around the world - to push the UN to finally carry out this agreement," Jeffrey said.
He added, "We're a little bit more optimistic, but anything could happen in Syria. And you've covered it; you know that Syria is a lot of ups and downs. So we'll see. Okay? Okay." (end)
ak.mt