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Syrian Ceasefire Only 1st Step in Annanâ€™s Plan â€“ Clinton

12 April 2012 22:13 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed on Thursday the ceasefire in Syria, but said it is only a "first step" in the implementation of Kofi Annanâ€™s plan, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.

The six-point plan, proposed by UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan and approved by the UN Security Council, includes a pullback of troops from the cities, a halt to fighting, the release of unjustly arrested people, and respect for the peopleâ€™s right to peaceful protest and for press freedom.

Clinton, who spoke after a meeting of G8 foreign ministers in Washington, said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can not â€œpick and chooseâ€ what parts of the plan he wants to accept and implement and urged the Syrian government to withdraw troops from all cities and accept a transition of political power.

The UN-backed Syrian ceasefire plan appeared to take hold on Thursday, lifting hopes for an end to the deadly clashes between opposition and pro-government forces that have killed over 9,000 people in the past year.

Annan negotiated a ceasefire last month, which both parties reluctantly agreed to support. However, Syrian opposition activists said infighting intensified ahead of the deadline, which was initially set for T