Syria Daily: Britain & France Call for End to Regime & Russian Attacks

MESOP : DE MISTURA, MADAME MERKEL & OTHERS

by Scott Lucas – EWORLDVIEW – 4 March 2016 – Britain and France called on Thursday for an end to attacks on Syria’s opposition by Russia and the Assad regime, which are continuing despite a ceasefire that began last weekend. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura maintained that the cessation of hostilities had made “visible progress”, even though the Syrian military has pursued ground assaults in five provinces, with cover from Russian warplanes in some of the assaults.

French President Francois Hollande and UK Prime Minister David Cameron said in a joint statement, a day before a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel: We ask all sides that are committing human rights violations, including Russia and the Syrian regime, to put an immediate end to the attacks against moderate opposition groups. Tomorrow is an opportunity for the leaders of the UK, France and Germany to come together…and make very clear to [Russian] President Putin that we need this ceasefire to hold, to be a lasting one and to open the way for a real political transition.De Mistura said the level of violence in Syria had been “greatly reduced” despite the attacks near Damascus and in Hama, Homs, Latakia, and Idlib Provinces.“In general, the cessation has been holding,” he asserted. www.mesop.de