MOSCOW, February 9./TASS/. Representatives from Russia, Turkey, Iran, Jordan and the UN practically ended in Astana on February 6 work to fix the Syrian areas occupied by terrorists, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
"Representatives of Russia, Turkey and Iran as well as Jordan and the UN met in Astana on February 6," the diplomat said.
"One of the main results of the meeting was that they practically completed work to fix Syrian areas under the control of ISIS [former name of the terrorist group Islamic State outlawed in Russia], and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham [formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra]," she said.
Zakharova also said two draft documents prepared by Russia and planned for discussion at upcoming sessions of the joint group have been handed over.
"This is the protocol to the agreement on a mechanism to record violations of the ceasefire, declared in Syria starting from December 30, 2016, and the mode of applying sanctions against those who violate it," as well as the provision on the area [settlement], joining the reconciliation process, she said.
Geneva talks
Moscow hopes that regional partners will provide maximum assistance to the parties to the Syrian conflict in preparing the meeting in Geneva due to be held on February 20, Maria Zakharova has announced.
"We support the proposal of UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to resume the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva on February 20," she said.
"We hope our regional partners will provide maximum assistance to the Syrian parties in getting ready for the negotiations."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Gennady Gatilov, earlier told TASS that unjustified delays in talks "are harmful for the overall settlement process." In his view, the participants in the negotiations should stop "beating around the bush" and focus on discussing specific issues in keeping with the agenda determined by UN Security Council Resolution 2254.