Russia, Iran, Turkey Reiterate Willingness to Cooperate on Syria Ceasefire

Experts from Russia, Iran and Turkey confirmed their readiness to cooperate in order to achieve a full ceasefire in Syria, Stanislav Gadzhimagomedov, the head of the Russian delegation, said Monday.

ASTANA (Sputnik) – Earlier in the day, the first session of the Syria ceasefire regime monitoring joint task force (JTF), bringing together experts from Russia, Iran and Turkey, concluded in Astana.

"Delegations confirmed their readiness to continue to work towards the full implementation of the cessation of hostilities in Syria," Gadzhimagomedov, the deputy head of the Russian Armed Forces' main operational department, told a briefing.

"The participants of the meeting discussed the progress of implementation of cessation of hostilities in Syria, special measures to establish an effective monitoring mechanism and control … The participants also discussed the measures of mutual confidence and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access," he added.

 

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front and Daesh, banned in a range of countries, including Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in December that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and on readiness to start peace talks.