Obama's statement to leaders of the Quint

buzzz worthy. . . President Obama met today with leaders of the Quint: Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom, Chancellor Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Renzi of Italy, and Foreign Minister Fabius of France. In the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, the leaders underscored the urgency of continuing and enhancing action to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group ISIL. All countries reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to this objective, just as we pursue a diplomatic solution to the broader conflict in Syria. The leaders acknowledged the progress achieved in Vienna in recent weeks and underscored their full support for a nation-wide ceasefire in parallel with the start of the political process between the Syrian opposition and government. They re-committed to the goal of establishing a new governance structure within 6 months and elections within 18 months. The leaders also discussed a number of other issues, including ways to continue to mitigate the plight of those displaced by the Syrian conflict. Finally, on Ukraine, they reiterated that sanctions against Russia must remain in place until full implementation of the Minsk agreements is achieved. -30-