Following intensive consultations in Geneva, I am pleased that today we have come closer to a fundamental agreement between the United States and Russia on a ceasefire in Syria. This is what was agreed in Munich.

Nothing concrete has been achieved yet, and the fighting and dying are still continuing in Syria, so it is now all the more vital that the regional powers also exert their influence on the belligerent parties in Syria in order to make use of the window of opportunity that is now open. This will not be easy, and it can only be achieved if all sides adhere to what was agreed in Munich. We are continuing to work hard on these endeavours.

At the same time, we must do everything we can to ensure further humanitarian progress and continuation of the groundwork for restarting the political process. Only if there is progress on implementing all three elements agreed in Munich – reducing violence, humanitarian progress and the political process – will it be possible to find a way out of the maelstrom of this terrible civil war in Syria.