From Washington, this is VOA News.
I’m Frances Alonzo reporting.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday the international effort to defeat the Islamic State group is "moving in the right direction," but he cautioned more must be done to support stabilization in Libya and Iraq.
Kerry spoke at the opening of a ministerial meeting in Rome where representatives from about 20 countries came to talk about ways to boost the anti-Islamic State campaign.
“We’ve always recognized, everybody here has always said this will be a multi-year effort, and it is going to demand sustained contributions and effort by every country. So we all adapted, I think effectively, to what was happening on the battlefield.
Kerry also highlighted the risk of the militants taking control in Libya with its vast oil resources, but said that a near agreement on a new national unity government would go a long way to preventing that scenario.
Meanwhile, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura is meeting Tuesday in Geneva with representatives of the Syrian government after declaring the start of indirect peace talks and calling on world powers to live up to their pledge to secure an accompanying ceasefire.
De Mistura will meet with the government before speaking with opposition delegates. The process is part of a slow, but incremental track of achieving indirect exchanges between the two sides.
The United Nations humanitarian office, meanwhile, says it will send the Syrian government a detailed list of aid that it wants to deliver to three towns after getting an agreement "in principle" to make deliveries to people who are badly in need of food and other supplies.
The U.N. did not give a date Monday for the deliveries to Madaya, Foua and where Kfarya will take place.
This is VOA News.
Words in This Newscast
cautioned – v. warned
stabilization – n. a process to help end unrest or disorder
boost – v. increase
multi-year – adj. lasting many years
sustained – adj. continuing for an extended period
contributions – n. donations or assistance
adapted – v. to make changes
highlighted – v. noted
vast – adj. large or great
scenario – n. a possible development of future events
meanwhile – adv. at the same time
indirect – adj. not directly caused by or resulting from something
pledge – n. promise
accompanying – adj. being present at the same time as something else
track – n. evidence that can be observed
achieving – v. getting or reaching something by hard work
deliver – v. to take something to a person or place
in principle – phrase. as a general idea or plan
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