Syrian peace process

Turkey and Russia have brokered a nationwide cease-fire between the regime and opposition forces in Syria with hopes that it will be followed by talks for a negotiated political solution in the war-torn country. 

The Syrian government and the rebel forces have reached a ceasefire agreement that will come into effect at midnight local time.

Turkey's foreign minister announced earlier that Turkey and Russia will be the guarantors of any agreement.

Turkey and Russia have agreed on the terms of a proposed ceasefire in Syria, where they back opposing sides in the civil war, Turkish state media report.
The Anadolu news agency cited an unnamed source as saying the two states were working to ensure the ceasefire would start after midnight (22:00 GMT).

Turkey, Russia and Iran are set to meet in Astana in the middle of next month to seek a cessation of hostilities in Syria as part of a meeting that is being dubbed as a "confidence-building step complementary to the Geneva process," a Foreign Ministry official told the Hürriyet Daily News on Dec. 23.  

BELGRADE - Despite claiming humanitarian motives, US actions in Syria are meant to undermine the power of Russia and Iran, with Washington trying to achieve this goal by directly supporting terrorists, Syrian President Bashar Assad has said.

Syria talks convened by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Oct. 15 evening failed to agree on a common strategy with Russia to end the conflict in Syria, now in its sixth year.

Syria talks with a fresh format but few fresh ideas opened in the Swiss lakeside town of Lausanne on Oct. 15, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry seeking a new path to peace after failing to secure a ceasefire in direct talks with Russia.

Russia on Oct. 12 said it would hold Syria talks with the United States and regional powers, including Turkey, this weekend, the first meeting on the conflict since Washington froze bilateral cease-fire negotiations.

The United Nations suspended all humanitarian convoys in Syria on Sept. 20 following a deadly air strike on aid trucks, as fighting intensified after the regime declared an end to a week-long truce, even as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the "cease-fire was not dead."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov agreed on Sept. 14 that a cessation of hostilities agreement in Syria was holding, and extended it by 48 hours to allow for increased humanitarian access.