Three Documents Signed- Syrian Ceasefire Begins at Midnight

• December 20, 2016:Russia,Iran,Turkey: Guarantors of the Moscow Declaration
• December 26/2016A Ceasefire In Syria? - Not if the US & co Have Their Way!
• December 28/2016:  Turkey, Russia & Iran Build Anticipation In Advance of Ceasefire 

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Agreements have been achieved on a ceasefire in Syria and the readiness to start peace talks, according to Vladimir Putin.

"Reports have just arrived that several hours ago there was a development that we all have looked and worked for for so long. Three documents have been signed. A ceasefire between the Syrian government and the armed opposition is the one. A package of measures to control the ceasefire is the other. There is also a declaration of readiness to enter peace talks on Syrian conflict settlement,"Putin saidat a meeting with Russian foreign and defense ministers.

Russia, Turkey, Iran undertake commitments to guarantee peaceful settlement in Syria. The deal is the result of Russia’s cooperation with partners in the region, Putin emphasized.
"No doubt, the agreements reached are fragile and demand special attention and assistance with the goal of preservation and development. But nevertheless, this is a notable result of our joint work, efforts of the Defense Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and our partners in the regions," Putin saidat the meeting with the foreign and defense ministers.

Putin said the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry were constantly in a contact with partners in Damascus and other capitals."They did a very great job jointly with partners from Turkey. We know that most recently a trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran was held in Moscow where the three countries undertook commitments both on control and guarantees of peaceful settlement in the Syrian Republic."

"As we understand very well, all the agreements reached are very fragile, they demand special attention and patience, a professional approach to these issues and a constant contact with our partners,"Putin stressed

 “This agreement we’ve reached is very fragile, as we all understand. They require special attention and patience, professional attitude, and constant contact with our partners,” Putin said

We welcome the understanding reached between the conflicting/warring parties in Syria on a country-wide ceasefire.
https://t.co/2FbhSHqG4S

— Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) December 29, 2016

“The first was signed by the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition to stop hostilities in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. The second one is a set of measures to control the ceasefire. The third document is a declaration of intention for Syrian settlement,” the Russian president said


The agreement is the result of joint efforts by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, the president said.
“Great work has been done in cooperation with our partners from Turkey. We know that only recently there was a trilateral meeting in Moscow of the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, and Iran, where all of the nations made obligations not only to control, but also to act as guarantors of the peace process in Syria.”

The truce is supported by seven major armed opposition groups that have over 60,000 fighters in their ranks, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said.

The minister said under the deal any armed group that refuses to cease hostilities would be considered a legitimate target for the use of force, as is the case with terrorist groups Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Al-Nusra Front, which are not included in the truce. Shoigu added that if the agreement holds, it would allow Russia to scale down its military presence in Syria.

He added that he will contact his Iranian and Turkish counterparts to discuss further steps in the Syrian peace process.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the three nations are preparing a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, to pave the way for peace talks on Syria.

Lavrov saidthat the ceasefire agreement would be submitted to the UN Security Council later on Thursday for potential endorsement.(RT's reporting, but, doesn't appear to be what Lavrov is saying? I wouldn't think they need the UN's endorsement or approval)

“We will inform UNSC members of the work we have done and answer their questions,”the Russian foreign minister said.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Turkey and Russia will act as guarantors of the truce, which does not include groups designated as terrorists by the United Nations.

Ankara has called on all parties that can exert influence on armed groups to support the ceasefire deal.

Damascus has confirmed that it will observe the truce starting at midnight local time on December 30 (22:00 GMT December 29).

The rebel National Coalition announced its support for the ceasefire deal, AFP reported. Zakaria Malahifji, who represents the Free Syrian Army-affiliated rebel group Fastaqim, has confirmed supporting the truce to Reuters.