Syrian Government, Armed Opposition Agree to Join Forces Against Terror

The head of the Syrian governmental delegation at the talks in Astana and the Permanent Representative of Syria to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, told Sputnik that the negotiations were successful thanks to the excellent organization by the Syrian, Iranian and Russian sides.

Commenting on an agreement between the Syrian government and the opposition, Jaafari said that the parties have a good chance to sign a deal.

"We assess the recent negotiations positively. All the efforts, which are directed to the benefit of the Syrian people and the government in the fight against terrorism, are fruitful, and we are grateful for them," Jaafari told Sputnik.

"Talking about the future, let's see how we apply in practice the announced results of the talks in Astana," he added.

The intra-Syrian talks to consolidate the ceasefire, brokered by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, started on Monday in Kazakhstan's capital. The talks brought together the delegation of the Syrian government and representatives of armed opposition groups for the first time since the beginning of the civil war in Syria in 2011.

A nationwide ceasefire in Syria backed by Russia and Turkey came into effect on December 30 and was later supported by a UN Security Council resolution.