Syrian rebel army says ready to respect truceApril 9, 2012 - 17:22 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Syrian rebel army said Monday, April 9 it is ready to respect a truce brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan if the regime of President Bashar al-Assad abides by the peace deal, AFP reports. "We have announced that we will cease operations against the army of the regime on the morning of April 10, and we will respect this pledge if the regime commits to respecting the terms of the (UN) plan," Free Syrian Army spokesman Colonel Kassem Saadeddine said in a statement. He said the FSA reiterated its "total commitment to the plan" which demands the regime withdraw from protest cities on Tuesday with a complete ceasefire set for 48 hours later. The peace plan appears to be in jeopardy after the regime laid down conditions for a pullout, saying it would only carry out its side of the bargain if rebels first handed over written guarantees to stop fighting. Rebel army chief Colonel Riyadh al-Asaad countered: "We are committed to the Annan plan... We will present our guarantees and our commitments to the international community, but not to this (Syrian) regime." Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Welcome to CaseKey 2024. Byblos Bank Armenia firmly stands by future innovators Strategic business cases, invaluable experience, innovative approaches and more than 25 events are in store for the participants of CaseKey 2024. Macron honors Charles Aznavour on 100th anniversary French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to the memory of French-Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour. Blinken says U.S. reviewing a number of aid requests from Armenia He said the U.S. is reviewing the requests to determine what more it can do to increase its assistance to Armenia. At least 2 CSTO members participated in preparing 44-day war against Armenia – PM Nikol Pashinyan has declared that at least two CSTO member countries participated in preparations for the 44-day war against Armenia. |