US, Russia strike deal on ‘concrete steps’ to save Syria cease-fire

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov said Friday they had agreed on “concrete steps” to salvage a failing truce and tackle jihadist groups in Syria but refrained from laying out their deal.
The top diplomats emerged from 12-hour marathon talks saying they agreed on the way forward, but Kerry stressed that the details of the deal would not be made public to allow the “quiet business” of peacemaking to continue.
“I want to emphasize though that they are not based on trust, they define specific sequential responsibilities all parties to the conflict must assume with the intent to stop altogether the indiscriminate bombing of the Assad regime and stepping up our efforts against Al-Nusra,” Kerry said, referring to the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda.
“Each of us know exactly what we have to do.”
Speaking alongside Lavrov, Kerry told reporters that if the steps are implemented “in good faith,” they could “help restore the cessation of hostilities, significantly reduce the violence and help create the space for a negotiated and credible political transition.”
The United States was touting a proposal for closer US-Russian military cooperation in Syria against Al-Qaeda and Daesh fighters, but Russia has been cool to the idea.
In exchange, Moscow would be required to pressure its ally Syrian strongman Bashar Assad to ground his own jets and end attacks on civilians and the moderate opposition.

Source: AFP