This refers to “Syria massacres must spur world action” (May 11). It seems to me that it is the dim light at the end of the tunnel. For a long time now, the unrelenting civil war in Syria has been one of the most intractable problems facing the Middle East. However, at long last, a flicker of light can be seen through the doom-gloom scenario as the United States and Russia find a common ground in Syria.

After months of differences on ways to resolve the deepening crisis with the US insisting Assad must go first, US Secretary of State John Kerry had marathon talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov before striking a deal over a common approach to the Syrian problem.

They have basically agreed to push both sides — rebels and Assad loyalists — to find an end to the bloodshed for which they have offered to hold an international conference.

The basis is already there in the Geneva agreement cobbled by Kofi Annan that the world powers had signed in June last year but never came close to seeing it implemented. The accord set out a path for a transitional government “without ever spelling out the fate of Assad.”

Lavrov and Kerry now hope they could convene the international conference by the end of May to build on the Geneva agreement.

In what seems to be a major US concession to Russian concerns over instability in the Middle East, Kerry appeared to have softened the US stance on Assad’s future.

Washington, until recently appeared to be thinking of options to mount more pressure on Assad on the question of the use of chemical weapons but has lately scaled down its rigidity on the issue.

The Russian-US accord has been dubbed as a “very significant step” by Lakhdar Brahimi, which means so much more needs to be done by way of ending one of the bloodiest of civil wars in the current century. — Naser Mullah, Riyadh