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Conflict in Syria

Map identifying terrorists’ whereabouts in Syria may be drawn up at Astana talks

The head of the Russian delegation noted that the opinions of the sides did not coincide "on all issues so far"

© Valeriy Sharifulin/TASS

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Kremlin stresses Astana and Geneva talks on Syria not alternatives, but unified process

MOSCOW, March 10. /TASS/. Participants in the Syrian peace talks scheduled to be held on March 14-15 in Astana plan to draw up a single map pinpointing the whereabouts of the Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State terrorist organizations (both terror groups, outlawed in Russia) in Syria, a Russian general said on Friday.

"Preparations are underway for a new meeting that will be held in the capital of Kazakhstan on March 14-15," Head of the Russian General Staff’s Main Operations Department Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoi said.

"During the negotiations, there are plans to finish preparing a single map of the whereabouts of these terrorist groups Jabhat al-Nusra and the ISIL [the former name of the Islamic State] in Syria, approve a draft Regulation on a district that has joined a ceasefire, set up a working group for the exchange of forcibly held persons, discuss proposals on forming an international coalition for demining UNESCO cultural heritage monuments and establishing a constitutional commission," the Russian general said.

At the Astana meeting on February 6, the participants to the Syria peace talks mark off the moderate opposition from the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra formations on the maps.

The head of the Russian delegation noted that the opinions of the parties did not concur "on all issues so far" but the participants in the negotiations "as a whole principally secured marking these districts on the map."

Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said on February 21 that the exact map with the separation of the moderate opposition and terrorists might appear very soon.

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