WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The international stakeholders taking part in the cessation of hostilities in Syria beginning on Saturday, must still work out the rules by which the ceasefire will proceed, US Secretary of State John Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.
"You have to begin a ceasefire sometime, but you cannot begin it on day one without working out the modalities of it, you have to… say what re the rules, who is going to live by what," Kerry stated.
On Monday, the United States and Russia, the co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), reached an agreement to halt hostilities in Syria beginning on February 27.
All stakeholders involved in the Syrian peace process agree that the UN Security Council should draft a resolution on a political solution that Russia supports.
"Everybody who is a stakeholder [in] Syria… [agrees] to get a UN Security Council resolution outlining a framework for a political settlement — and Russia voting for it," Kerry stated.
The United States, Russia, Iran and other allies hope the peace process in Syria culminates in a secular, independent nation whose leadership is chosen by the people, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.
"Russia, the United States and Iran and our allies all say that we want a united Syria," Kerry stated. "The vast preponderance of the players say they want a non-sectarian — even secular — Syria, the status quo ante, in which all minorities are protected."
All countries agree that the Syrian people have the right to choose their own leadership and their own future, Kerry added.
In January, the UN Security Council, backed by the ISSG members, agreed on a measure to establish a political transition process in Syria over the course of the next 18 months.
The 17-member ISSG includes a diverse group of nations including Iran, Saudi Arabia and all the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
