"The ministers emphasized the need to increase efforts to combat terrorist groups in Syria, be they Daesh [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State] or Jebhat al-Nusra. They stressed that there can be no lasting political solution or return to stability in Syria so long as Syrian civilians continue to be massacred," the communique read.
According to the communique, the ministers also welcomed US and Russian efforts to reach an agreement on Syrian conflict settlement in coordination with the United Nations.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting a number of opposition factions and extremist groups. On February 27, a US-Russia brokered ceasefire came into force in Syria. Terrorist groups such as Daesh, as well as Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front), both outlawed in Russia and a range of other states, are not part of the deal.
