U.N. hopes for revived Syria ceasefire, peace talks in weeks

A general view shows the damage in the Ramousah area of southern Aleppo, after forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad advanced in it, Syria, in this handout picture provided by SANA on September 9, 2016. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations hopes countries backing the Syria peace process will agree on Thursday to salvage the ceasefire, enabling a return to peace talks within weeks, U.N. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy said. Ramzy said the United States and Russia had the backing of other states in the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), which is to meet for a second time this week in New York later in the day, to reinvigorate their joint plan for a truce. "Clearly the resumption of the talks would be greatly helped by revitalising the cessation of hostilities," Ramzy told reporters in Geneva. "That is the objective of the meeting of the ISSG." (Reporting by Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay; writing by Tom Miles; editing by Stephanie Nebehay)