US, Russia will discuss 'violations' of Syria truce: Kerry
US Secretary of State John Kerry says officials from the United States and Russia are set to discuss alleged violations of a ceasefire in Syria, confirming that peace talks scheduled for next week remain on course.
"Our teams are meeting today (Saturday) with Russia in both Geneva and Amman, where very detailed lay downs will take place regarding these allegations,” Kerry said at the end of a visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
He said that he requested for a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday to discuss alleged violations of the ceasefire that went into force on February 27.
He claimed that the level of violence “by all accounts has been reduced by 80 to 90 percent” after the ceasefire and that "perceived" violations of the truce should not get in the way of peace talks.
According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a total of 135 people were killed in the first week of the truce. The UK-based group said, 552 other were also killed in other areas that are not covered by the truce.
The US State Department has also said in a statement that the truce "has produced a dramatic reduction in violence."
State Department spokesman John Kirby, however, expressed concern over “specific violations to the cessation of hostilities.”
A new round of UN-mediated peace talks between the Syrian government and foreign-backed opposition delegates will start on March 14. Negotiations are expected to end by March 24. The opposition confirmed on Friday that it will attend the peace talks.
The foreign-backed militancy, which began in March 2011 in Syria, has resulted in the death of over 470,000, according to the Syrian Center for Policy Research.
The US has also been leading a campaign of airstrikes in the Arab country, claiming the attacks target Takfiri Daesh positions.
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