France, Germany, UK, EU Call for Prompt Syria Peace Talks Resumption

Top diplomats from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, as well as the EU foreign policy chief are calling for the prompt resumption of Geneva talks on Syria, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Friday.

PARIS (Sputnik) — UN Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura said Thursday that the restart of Geneva peace talks on the Syrian civil war settlement set for March 9 was an approximate date, as some delegations would arrive later.

"We would like the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva to be resumed as soon as possible, but two conditions are to be met — access of all Syrians to humanitarian aid and compliance with the ceasefire on the ground," Ayrault said following a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, as well as EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Paris.

In his opening remarks Ayrault said that he and his European colleagues noted a real progress in the settlement of the conflict in Syria.

Russia and the United States reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria on February 22. The accord took effect on February 27, with the ceasefire generally holding across the country despite reported minor violations.