Possum.
The Syrian regime is “interested in exploring” a ceasefire in the 19-month conflict as proposed by international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Maqdisi said on Tuesday.
But he stressed that for a halt to the violence, the rebels and their backers would need to be involved too.
“In order to succeed in any initiative, it takes two sides,” Maqdisi said in answer to a question from AFP.
“The Syrian side is interested in exploring this option and we are looking forward to talking to Mr. Brahimi to see what is the position of other influential countries that he talked to in his tour,” he said.
“Will they pressure the armed groups that they host and finance and arm in order to abide by such a ceasefire?”
Brahimi, who took over from Kofi Annan after the former U.N. secretary-general resigned in frustration in August, has been traveling around the Middle East trying to persuade key regional powers to accept his plan, which is similar to a failed ceasefire Annan tried to implement, U.N. diplomats said on Tuesday.
via Syrian regime says it is ‘interested in exploring’ ceasefire option.
