'Provisional agreement' reached on Syria ceasefire
US secretary of state John Kerry said a "provisional agreement" has been reached on a ceasefire in Syria's five-year civil war.
Mr Kerry, who spoke alongside Jordanian foreign minister Nasser Judeh in Amman, Jordan, revealed he had spoken earlier this morning with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, about the agreement.
Now, he said, both the US and Russia plan to reach out to the various sides of the conflict.
Mr Kerry said he hoped US president Barack Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin would talk soon and that hopefully, after that, implementation of the ceasefire could begin.
The US secretary of state said details, such as enforcement, still need to be resolved.
Mr Kerry added not every party will necessarily agree to the deal automatically, but declared: "There is a stark choice for everybody here."
The Russian foreign ministry said Mr Lavrov and Mr Kerry spoke on the phone on Sunday for a second day in a row and discussed "the modality and conditions" for a cease-fire in Syria that would exclude groups that the UN Security Council considers terrorist organisations.
Mr Kerry said Russia has to talk with Iran and the Syrian government, and the US has to talk with the opposition and members of the International Syria Support Group.
He said: "What we are trying to achieve is a process with precision and commitment, and if we get that, that's the best opportunity for the people of Syria to see the violence reduced.
"Will every single party agree automatically? Not necessarily.
"The opposition is tough. The opposition is not about to stop. And the opposition has made clear their determination to continue to fight back."
Mr Kerry said enforcement issues still need to be resolved in addition to how any breaches will be addressed.
He said: "These are details that have to be determined if it is going to be effective."
