UK PM May Hopes for Implementation of Russia-US Deal on Syrian Ceasefire

UK Prime Minister Theresa May expressed hope that the new Moscow-Washington ceasefire on Syria will work "on the ground".

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — UK Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed on Wednesday the latest Russia-US deal on a new nationwide ceasefire in Syria, expressing hope for its implementation.

"The agreement, which has been reached between Russia and the United States about Syria, is an important agreement. And I think everybody in this House — we want to see that working, being put into practice and actually working on the ground," May said during the Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, the parliament's lower chamber.

On September 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry announced a new peace plan to address the conflict in Syria that called for a ceasefire to come into force on Monday.

If the new ceasefire in Syria lasts for seven days, the United States and Russia will launch the joint implementation center on distinguishing between opposition forces and terrorist groups. When the distinction is made, Moscow and Washington will coordinate their airstrikes against terrorists in the specific areas that have been agreed on. The Syrian air force, meanwhile, will operate in other areas, beyond those allocated for the Russian-US cooperation.

The next ministerial meeting on Syria is due to be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 21 and is expected to become a great opportunity for the resumption of the negotiations in Geneva.