Syria ceasfire talks very fragile: Russia

Russia says discussions about a possible ceasefire in Syria are still continuing, but in a flimsy manner while there is no consensus on resolving the foreign-sponsored crisis gripping the Arab country.

"The process is very fragile, discussions are under way, one can't speak about unanimity in the process of a Syrian settlement," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

The Russian official made the remarks one day after a Western official, whose name was not released in reports, said Moscow has made a proposal to begin a truce in Syria on March 1, adding; however, that no agreement has been reached on the initiative.

The unidentified source further noted that the United States has concerns about some elements of the Russian bid.

“The fact of the matter is that no plans have been announced. This means it should be understood and let’s not jump to any conclusions. You know that Russia is consistently applying efforts in the context of settling the Syrian conflict together with other countries that are participants in the process. I wouldn’t jump ahead,” Peskov added.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow has proposed to Washington an "absolutely specific scheme" seeking an end to violence in Syria.

The top Russian diplomat further reiterated on Thursday that Moscow is awaiting a US response to the proposal for a ceasefire in Syria.

Last December, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution supporting an international roadmap for a peace process in Syria. The resolution called for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and the formation of a “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian” government within six months and UN-supervised “free and fair elections” within 18 months.

Need for peace in Syria

In another development on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel also stressed the necessity of efforts for securing peace in Syria, including talks scheduled on the sidelines of the Munich security conference later in the day.

"The international environment around Iraq is very complicated and therefore we agreed that all efforts need to be made, for example today in Munich, to have talks on the future of Syria and to bring about peace in the region," she said at a news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Berlin.

The latest round of negotiations between delegates from the Syrian government and divided opposition were suspended in the Swiss city of Geneva on February 3 following the opposition’s failure to show up.

Analysts say the opposition refused to continue the Geneva discussions after the Syrian army, backed by Russian air power, made significant gains against the Takfiri militant groups on several fronts in the Arab country.

The conflict in Syria, which began in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 260,000 people and displaced almost half of the country’s population.

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