Jordanian foreign minister tells Russia ceasefire needed in southern Syria

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Russia on Wednesday that political dialogue and a ceasefire were priorities for southern Syria where he said a humanitarian catastrophe risked unfolding. Safadi made the comment after holding talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. He said the situation in southern Syria was a cause for serious concern and needed to be resolved as soon as possible. The Russian-backed Syrian government has mounted a campaign to recover southwestern Syria from rebels. Syrian rebel negotiators began a new round of talks with Russian officers on Tuesday over a peace deal in southern Syria under which they would hand over weapons and allow Russian military police to enter rebel-held towns. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Writing by Polina Nikolskaya; Editing by Andrew Osborn)