John Kerry says provisional Syria ceasefire agreement reached with Russia

US Secretary of State John Kerry said that a provisional agreement had been reached with Russia on a ceasefire in Syria which could begin to be implemented in coming days. Speaking in Jordanian capital Amman, Kerry said the international community was "closer to a ceasefire today than we have been".

After speaking with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov by telephone, Kerry said: "We have reached a provisional agreement, in principle, on the terms of the cessation of hostilities that could begin in the coming days," AFP reported.

Having agreed the terms, Kerry said the powers must reach out to the parties in the conflict: "There is a stark choice for everybody here," Kerry said, reported AP.

Kerry did not specify details of the agreement, saying that all parties had yet to be consulted. He said that he hoped US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin could speak in coming days about the terms of the ceasefire, after which implementation could begin.

Groups regarded as terrorist organisations including Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra will be excluded from the ceasefire, said Kerry.

Russia would discuss the terms of the ceasefire with the Syrian government and backers Iran, while the US would discuss them with rebel groups and the International Syria Support Group, said Kerry.

After the US and Russia held bilateral talks on a Syrian ceasefire on Friday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad declared he was open to the possibility of a ceasefire if it does not help "terrorists".