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Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Russia calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Syria

cleanmediatoday.blogspot.com
 
Russia calls for humanitarian ceasefire in Syria 
Clean Media Correspondent 

Moscow: Mar 20: (CMC)   Russia called on Syria Tuesday to immediately accept demands by the International Committee for the Red Cross for a daily two-hour humanitarian truce after talks with the Geneva-based body's head. 

The crucial backing from Moscow to exert stronger pressure on its Soviet-era ally came after ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger huddled with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for about 90 minutes. 
"The two parties call for the Syrian government and armed groups to immediately agree to a daily humanitarian truce to allow the ICRC access to the wounded and to civilians who need to be evacuated," a Russian foreign ministry statement said. 
Moscow "underscored the need to allow the ICRC access to all detained persons in Syria following the protests", against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, the statement said. 
Kellenberger then flew to Brussels to ask NATO members to exert similar influence with Syria's rebel forces. 
The meetings and simultaneous visit to Syria by teams from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and United Nations come amid frenzied efforts by relief workers to reach thousands of civilians trapped in the escalating violence.  

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