NATO chief welcomes ‘progress’ in northeast Syria, aims to build on ceasefire
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg welcomed on Wednesday
the “progress” in northeastern Syria following the formal agreement to a
ceasefire in the region.
“I welcome that we have seen progress in
northeastern Syria” and a “fall in violence,” said Stoltenberg.
Stoltenberg added that it is still too early to
judge the outcome of the Russia-Turkey agreement struck in the Black Sea resort
of Sochi
"We have seen that it is possible to move
towards a political solution. The first requirement ... is to stop the
fighting," Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference a day before NATO
defence ministers will discuss Syria at NATO headquarters.
"Then we need to move on, building on that, and
have a real, negotiated, political solution in Syria," he said.
Stoltenberg also said he had spoken to German
Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer about her idea to create a security
zone in northern Syria, saying he welcomed any proposals on a way towards
peace.
Stoltenberg, asked about French President Emmanuel
Macron's criticism of NATO's reaction to Turkey's Syria offensive, said
differences at the alliance on the issue were "a matter of public
record".
He also said it was up to NATO allies to decide
individually if they wished to reconsider the deployment of Patriot missiles in
Turkey, adding that defence ministers will discuss the issue on Thursday at a
meeting at the NATO headquarters.
