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Kerry, Saudi King Discuss Fragile Truce in Syria

Kerry, Saudi King Discuss Fragile Truce in Syria
Kerry, Saudi King Discuss Fragile Truce in Syria

US Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi Arabia's King Salman in Jeddah on Sunday to discuss the fragile truce in Syria, before broader talks with Russia and other countries in Vienna on Tuesday.

Kerry has said he hopes to strengthen a "" agreement between Syrian government forces and rebels, which has been undermined by fighting in some areas, Reuters reported. On Friday, he said the meetings with the king and the Saudi interior and defense ministers—the two most senior princes—would try "to make sure that we can get this cessation better footed and, frankly, better observed and implemented throughout the country".

The United States, Saudi Arabia and some other western and Persian Gulf Arab states plus Turkey back militants fighting with the Syrian government.

However, diplomats in the Persian Gulf say Saudi Arabia sees US support for the militants as inadequate and fears that Washington may abandon their shared stance that Assad must immediately leave power as part of any negotiated political deal.

Financialtribune.com