Major world powers have agreed to implement a “cessation of hostilities” and to the delivery of immediate aid in Syria, announced U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, after talks were held in Germany.

He spoke in Munich, Germany, where top diplomats from more than a dozen countries, including the United States and Russia, met to reaffirm their commitment to a political transition when conditions on the ground improved. He also stated that the target for implementing the nationwide cessation of fighting was a week’s time. However, the ‘cease fire’ will not apply to the battle against jihadist groups Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front.

“I’m pleased to say that as a result today in Munich, we believe we have made progress on both the humanitarian front and the cessation of hostilities front, and these two fronts, this progress, has the potential — fully implemented, fully followed through on — to be able to change the daily lives of the Syrian people,” Kerry said. “First, we have agreed to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid beginning immediately,” he told reporters. “Second, we have agreed to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities to begin in a target of one week’s time. That’s ambitious, but everybody is determined to move as rapidly as possible to try to achieve this.”

The war in Syria began in March 2011. At least 250,000 people have died and 12 million displaced because of the conflict, according to the United Nations.

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