Russia, Turkey, and Iran agreed Tuesday to the outlines of a plan to solidify a cease-fire in Syria after two days of negotiations, bringing the three biggest parties in the six-year-old civil war to the definitive beginnings of a peace process.
The United States was not a party to the agreement, but the State Department told The Washington Post in a statement it welcomed any "actions that sustainably de-escalate violence and reduce suffering in Syria."
The accord, which committed the countries to fighting the Islamic State and al-Qaida operatives in Syria, brought Iran into an alliance with Russia and Turkey in an effort to bring about a settlement.
Russia and Iran have worked to secure Syria President Bashar al-Assad's survival against the rebels, while Turkey has been the fighters with the supplies needed to sustain their revolt.
The Syrians participating for the talks in Kazakhstan — representing more than a dozen groups — were also not party to the agreement, nor were they asked to sign it, the Post reported, creating further uncertainty about their fate in the process.
In addition, any negotiations on a political settlement would occur under the guise of the United Nations in Geneva, in accordance with the current peace process mandated by U.N. Security Council resolutions and supported by the U.S., according to the report.
The deal also requires Russia, Turkey, and Iran to establish an unspecified form of apparatus to enforce the cease-fire.
More than 500,000 people have died in the Syrian civil war.
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