MOSCOW, June 7. /TASS/. The top diplomats of Russia and the United States, Sergey Lavrov and John Kerry, during a phone conversation continued coordination of approaches of the two countries in the fight against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organizations in Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The heads of foreign policy departments continued coordination of approaches of the two countries in the fight against ISIL (IS), Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist organizations active in Syria," the statement said.
The conversation occurred on the initiative of the American side.
Over the past week, this is the third phone conversation of Lavrov and Kerry dedicated to Syrian problems and the fight against terrorism.
Syrian ceasefire
The ceasefire regime took effect in Syria on February 27. Shortly before, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution supporting a cessation of hostilities. The document drafted by Russia and the United States was backed by all 15 Security Council member states.
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The ceasefire regime does not cover the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organizations as well as other groups ruled terrorist by the Security Council.
Russia takes an active part in the Syrian settlement effort. It helps Syria's authorities fight terrorists and has conducted mine clearing work in the ancient city of Palmyra.
Russia’s Aerospace Forces started delivering pinpoint strikes in Syria at facilities of Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, which are banned in Russia, on September 30, 2015, on a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad.
On March 14, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to start, from March 15, withdrawing the main part of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ group from Syria. Putin said the tasks set before the military "have been fulfilled on the whole." Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said strikes on terrorists will continue to be delivered.
During Russia’s operation against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra that lasted nearly six months, Syrian forces recaptured nearly 400 inhabited localities with support from Russia’s aircraft. Serious problems were created for illegal oil trade, which is the key source of income for terrorists; the main routes of supply of arms and ammunition to militants were blocked.