HAMA (Syria), March 9. /TASS/. Representatives of about 80% of the territory of Syria’s Hama province have joined in the truce negotiations, a representative of the Russian Center for reconciling the warring sides in Syria told reporters on Wednesday.
According to him, after long negotiations representatives of some 80 settlements of the province gathered in the community center of the city of Hama to discuss the ceasefire terms.
"Individual approaches are required for each district and settlement here, so representatives of about 80 settlements have gathered today to personally discuss the ceasefire terms," the official said.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Syrian official authorities and armed forces, the people’s militia, clergy and the opposition.
According to open sources, the ·Hama province area exceeds 10,000 square kilometers, which make it Syria’s seventh largest province. The total area of ··the country is about 185,000 square kilometers.
The ceasefire in Syria came into effect on February 27. The truce does not apply to the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra extremist groups (outlawed in Russia) and other groups designated as terrorist organizations by the UN Security Council. The Russia-US Joint Statement as Co-Chairs of ISSG on Cessation of Hostilities in Syria of February 22, 2016, reads: "The United States and the Russian Federation together call upon all Syrian parties, regional states and others in the international community to support the immediate cessation of violence and bloodshed in Syria and to contribute to the swift, effective and successful promotion of the UN-facilitated political transition process in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, the February 11 Statement of the ISSG, the 2015 Vienna statements of the ISSG, and the 2012 Geneva Communique."
On February 23, Russia announced the establishment of the Reconciliation Center at the Khmeimin airbase in the Latakia province. The US established a similar center in Amman (the capital city of Jordan). The center was set up in line with agreements reached by Russia and the United States to facilitate the negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition and to organize deliveries of humanitarian aid.
On Tuesday evening, the Russian Reconciliation Center reported that the number of armed groups that have declared their commitment to the fulfilment of the ceasefire conditions has reached 37.
Russia’s aviation grouping has been delivering airstrikes against the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria since September 30 at the request of Syria’s President Bashar Assad. Since 2014, the US-led coalition has also been delivering air strikes against militants in Syria and Iraq.