US explains 'secrecy' in agreement with Russia on Syria

(Baonghean.vn) - On September 17, the representative of the US delegation to the United Nations explained why Washington refused to disclose details of the agreement between Moscow and Washington on the ceasefire in Syria reached in early September.

A ceasefire brokered by Russia and the US in Syria could be the last chance to resolve the five-year conflict in the Middle Eastern country. Photo: AP.

TAccording to the official, the disclosure of the details of the agreement could affect the safeguards for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria. At the same time, the US representative stressed that Washington is waiting for the discussion on the Syrian issue next week in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Earlier the same day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Russia and the US are currently negotiating to announce the content of the above agreement.

He welcomed the UN Security Council's support for the agreement, but said it was wrong to ask for support without disclosing its contents to partners. He affirmed that Moscow had no secret "Plan B" for a solution to Syria, and the agreement did not mention the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia and the United States had proposed holding a UN Security Council meeting on Syria on September 16, but the two countries canceled the plan because Washington refused to disclose details of the agreement with Moscow.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters during a visit to Kyrgyzstan on September 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had a "more positive than negative" attitude towards the ceasefire agreement in Syria recently reached with the US, but stressed that Washington needs to be more transparent on this issue.

He hopes that the parties will be sincere with each other on the Syria issue, and this is the factor that helps the parties achieve their common goals. Regarding the content of the Syria agreement, the Russian leader said that he will only publish the content of this document when his American partners agree.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov at a press conference after a meeting to discuss the Syrian crisis in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 9. Photo: AP.

Last week, Russia and the United States unexpectedly reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria, hoping to reduce violence and bring peace to the war-torn Middle Eastern country. According to US Secretary of State John Kerry, if the new agreement is seriously implemented by all parties, Syria will have a memorable turning point in resolving the current conflict.

An initial 48-hour ceasefire agreement that went into effect on September 12 was extended for two days. According to several international monitoring organizations, some fighting and shelling broke out again on September 16, threatening to undermine the agreement between Russia and the United States.

Lan Ha
(According to Sputnik)