Munich deal could be breakthrough - chair of U.N. aid talks

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter speaks at a news conference during a NATO Defence Ministers meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman

GENEVA (Reuters) - Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council who will chair a U.N. meeting on Syrian humanitarian access later on Friday, said an agreement by big powers in Munich on Thursday could be a breakthrough if pressure is put on the warring sides.

“We have high hopes that the parties in the International Syria Support Group, including Russia and the United States, will do everything they can to push for humanitarian access to civilians in need inside Syria. We need sustained and full access,” Egeland said in a statement.