EU welcomes cease-fire in Syria

By Hasan Esen

BRUSSELS (AA) - The European Union welcomed Friday the nationwide cease-fire in Syria that began Thursday night.

Turkey and the Russia will act as guarantor countries in support of the nationwide cease-fire agreed by the Assad regime and the main Syrian opposition groups.

"In this context, the announcement of an agreement for cessation of hostilities on the eve of a New Year is welcome," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a written statement.

She said she spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura to coordinate on Syria.

The European Union will host two meetings in January and February on the Syrian crisis, Mogherini added.

The nationwide cease-fire comes after five years of fighting and involves a return to peace talks.

Syria has been locked in a devastating war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests – which erupted as part of the Arab Spring uprisings – with unexpected ferocity.