Assad tells Putin his government will help with Syria ceasefire

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais in Damascus, in this handout picture provided by SANA on February 20, 2016. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that his government was ready to assist in implementing a ceasefire in Syria, the Kremlin and the Syrian presidency said. The United States and Russia announced plans on Monday for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, excluding Islamic State and Nusra Front militants, that would take effect starting on Saturday. Putin said at the time that the ceasefire agreements between Moscow and Washington were a real step towards halting the bloodshed and can be an example of action against terrorism. Putin and Assad, who held a telephone conversation, stressed the importance of a continued "uncompromising" fight against Islamic State, the Nusra Front and other militant groups "which are included in the respective list of the United Nations Security Council", the Kremlin said. It gave no further detail. The Syrian presidency made no mention of any UN Security Council list. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Additional reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Angus MacSwan)