MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On December 18, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution backing the activities of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and formalized its areas of work, including the humanitarian situation, the agreement of ceasefire conditions and the beginning of an inclusive political process.
"It was clearly noted that all the three areas of work should be developed simultaneously, that there should not or could not be any preconditions for the political negotiations," Lavrov said.
He added that the activities of the ISSG helped to reach a whole new level in Syrian reconciliation.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with the country’s government fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups.
The ISSG was formed in November 2015 as an international format to help resolve the internal crisis in Syria. The format currently involves Russia, the Arab League countries, the European Union and some of its member states, as well as China, Iran, Turkey, the United Nations and the United States.