Russia, Turkey, Iran Create Group as Part of Mechanism to Monitor Syria Truce

ASTANA (Sputnik) — Russia, Iran and Turkey have decided to create a joint group as part of Syria ceasefire monitoring mechanism and tasked themselves with separating terrorist groups from the armed opposition, the document adopted in Astana and obtained by Sputnik reads.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey… decide to establish the Joint Group as part of a trilateral mechanism to observe and ensure full compliance with the ceasefire regime in the Syrian Arab Republic; prevent provocations; determine all modalities of the ceasefire, including separating terrorist groups ISIL / DAESH and al-Nusra Front [both groups banned in Russia] from the armed opposition groups in order to consolidate the ceasefire regime," the Concept Paper on the Joint Group reads.

According to the document, joint Russia-Turkey-Iran group on ceasefire monitoring in Syria will also include UN experts.

"The group is composed of the representatives of the Parties and the UN experts (the number is defined by the Parties) in order to effectively search for solutions to the issues under consideration. The UN experts will be invited by the Parties to provide a liaison function and expert technical support to the work of the group," the Concept Paper on the Joint Group reads.

Moreover, the group on ceasefire will regularly exchange information on violations of this regime with the United Nations.

According to the document, the group will have regular meetings. Investigation of violations with the aim to determine those responsible and take measures to prevent them will be one of the issues on the agenda of such meetings.

"Information on violations is provided by the Parties with the assistance of their national ceasefire centers as well as UN operation center in Geneva. The Parties and the UN will regularly exchange information on ceasefire regime violations in between the meetings," the Concept Paper on the Joint Group reads.

The group will also brief the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) on the progress and results of its work, the document adopted in Astana and obtained by Sputnik reads.

"The Parties brief the ISSG via their delegations on the progress and results of their work," the Concept Paper on the Joint Group reads.

Russia and the United States are co-chairs of the ISSG.

The group will discuss efforts to release detainees and facilitate exchange of prisoners during its regular meetings.

One of the issues that will be discussed during the group's regular meetings is "efforts to organize the release of detainees/abductees as well as exchange of prisoners and bodies on a mutually accepted basis, to identify missing persons of the parties of the arrangement on the ceasefire and to facilitate the unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access and free movement of civilians," the Concept Paper on the Joint Group reads.