Russia pushes Security Council resolution endorsing Syria peace plan

The deal calls for negotiations for a political solution to end the conflict that has killed more than 310,000

Russia on Friday submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council supporting the ceasefire it helped broker in Syria, as well as planned peace talks in Kazakhstan.

Moscow drew up a brief security council draft resolution endorsing the plan it brokered with Turkey and Iran for a ceasefire ahead of planned negotiations at the end of January in the Kazakh capital Astana, Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters.



The council began closed consultations on the text on Friday morning. "We hope that tomorrow morning, we can go for a vote and adopt it unanimously," Churkin said.

The deal calls for negotiations over a political solution to end the conflict that has killed more than 310,000 since 2011 and forced millions to flee.

The ceasefire, which went into force midnight Thursday, has been holding across most of Syria despite reports of sporadic clashes near Damascus.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was unclear who had started the clashes, with both sides blaming the other.

The ceasefire is the first nationwide truce to be implemented in the country since September, and is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in Kazakhstan being organised by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The agreement comes a week after the regime, which is backed by ally Russia, recaptured second city Aleppo in a major blow to rebel forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would now reduce Moscow's military contingent in Syria, which has been fighting on behalf of the government since last year. But he added Russia would continue to fight "terrorism" and maintain its support for the government.



Russia and Turkey say the Astana peace talks are meant to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, rather than replace them.

Along with Turkey and Iran, Moscow says it wants to work with regional powers Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Jordan on the talks.

Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow said it hoped to bring US President-elect Donald Trump's administration on board once he takes office in January.