Putin Reveals Why US Is against Making Deal with Russia on Syria Public

Rasa - Washington has been reluctant to make its ceasefire deal with Russia on Syria public because this would turn the spotlight on those who are not complying, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

News ID: 423629

Date: 17 September 2016 - 18:18

RNA - Russia has been urging the United States to disclose the details of the deal on Syria, which came into force on Monday. It aims to end violence in Syria and allow for relief aid deliveries.

"The only reason why they apparently don’t want to make it public is because the international community, as well as American and Russian public will immediately find out who is not abiding by the deal," Putin said in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Sputnik reported.

"We agreed that al-Nusra Front should be distanced from the opposition and that their location should be disclosed as well as that of the so-called healthy [moderate] forces. What do we see instead? We see no separation of terrorists and healthy forces, but rather attempts by terrorists to regroup," he said.

"I wish we were honest with each other… And I do not quite understand, why we should conceal any of our agreements. Of course, we will not disclose them, until our US partners agree with it… I repeat that we have rather positive than negative attitude [to these agreements] and we hope the promises given by the US administration will be fulfilled."

On September 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry announced a new plan on Syria, which stipulates a ceasefire that came into force on Monday.

On Friday, planned UN Security Council's consultations on Syria were canceled at the request of the United States and Russia. The Security Council reportedly wanted to know details of the US-Russia agreement on Syria.

According to Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin, the meeting has been canceled because the United States was not ready to share the documents with the members of the Security Council.

Later in the day, Lavrov told Kerry in a phone call that the entire package of the US-Russia agreements on Syria should be made public. However, US State Department spokesperson John Kirby stated in a briefing on Friday that the United States was still not prepared to publicly release the details of the US-Russia negotiated Syria ceasefire agreement.

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