'Real progress' in Syria, more needed before talks resume

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Friday hailed "real progress" in Syria but said peace talks cannot resume unless the ceasefire is fully respected and until all Syrians have access to aid.

"We want a speedy resumption of the negotiations in Geneva, but two conditions must be fulfilled: access for all Syrians to humanitarian aid, and full respect of the ceasefire," Ayrault said after meeting in Paris with his British, German and EU counterparts.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said for his part: "This cessation of hostilities is by no means perfect but it has reduced the level of violence, it has created an opportunity for some humanitarian access."

And Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany insisted: "Humanitarian aid shouldn't be an exception, it should be normal, and from that point of view we are still far away from a situation that is satisfying."
Source: AFP