Egypt backs US-Russia Syria truce deal – Foreign ministry

Saturday 10-09-2016 04:01 PM

Residents inspect a damaged site after airstrikes on a market in the rebel controlled city of Idlib September 10, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah

CAIRO, Sept 10 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt has welcomed a U.S.-Russian deal on a nationwide truce in Syria, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

The U.S. and Russia earlier announced they reached an agreement on Syria, beginning with a ceasefire deal effective from sundown on Monday. The deal could see a joint military campaign by Russia and the U.S. against insurgents in the war-torn country.

Egypt called on all parties to comply with the obligations of the deal, as it is considered "a step toward reaching a lasting ceasefire in all Syrian cities, whilst continuing to target terrorist elements."

"Adhering to the ceasefire deal would put an end to the human suffering that the Syrian people go through due to the ongoing violence and fighting," the statement added.

A UN special envoy has estimated in April that 400,000 people have been killed throughout the past five years in Syria. At least 6.6 million people are internally displaced, according to the UN.

According to the foreign ministry's statement, the deal would help in resuming political talks, while involving all Syrian factions.

This agreement comes after 10 months of failed attempts to halt the fighting in Syria, with the two powers backing opposite sides of the conflict; Russia supports the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while the US are backing a coalition of "rebel groups".

Egypt, an ally of Saudi Arabia who has been pushing for the removal of Assad, has maintained an unclear stance toward the Syrian crisis, only stating that it wants to preserve the Syrian state and army.

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