MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Moscow and Ankara are in contact with each other on Syria at various levels on a permanent basis, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
"There is constant coordination between the Russian and Turkish sides at various levels," Peskov said when asked whether the Russian and Turkish leaders plan to exchange views on the issue of negotiations in Astana.
In late December, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a Russian-Turkish resolution on a ceasefire regime in Syria, as well as on holding political talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups in Astana, Kazakhstan in January 2017. A day earlier, a nationwide ceasefire between Syrian government troops and several opposition factions came into force. Russia and Turkey serve as guarantors of the deal that paves the way for negotiations between the warring parties.
Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front and Daesh, which is banned in a range of countries, including Russia.
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