In the statement from Moscow, Russia and the US restated their commitment to the ceasefire and vowed “to intensify efforts to ensure its nationwide implementation”.
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The Aleppo truce went into effect in the middle of last week, but there has still been some fighting between rebels and government forces. The deal excluded Islamic State and al Qaeda’s Syrian branch, the Nusra Front.
To this end, Russian Federation “will work with the Syrian authorities to minimize aviation operations over areas that are predominantly inhabited by civilians or parties” to the ceasefire, they added.
Russian Federation and the United States on May 9 agreed to step up efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict and extend a truce across the whole of the country.
Washington and Moscow on Monday vowed to “redouble” efforts to end the five-year war in Syria, as regime forces and rebels in the Syrian battleground city of Aleppo agreed to extend a truce for a second time.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels fired rockets on residential areas in government-controlled areas and in the main Saad al Jabiri square injured seven, with reports of more casualties in the collapse of a building in Midan district which was hit by a missile.
The cease-fire includes the thousands of Shiite militiamen from Lebanon, Iraq and Iran who are battling on behalf of the Syrian government against the mostly Sunni Muslim rebels in Aleppo.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry discussed in a phone call on Tuesday additional efforts to ensure sustainable ceasefire and political process in war-torn Syria.
Bassma Kodmani, a member of the opposition-backed Higher Negotiating Committee, said Monday that an extension of the cease-fire beyond Aleppo and improvements in delivering humanitarian aid should make a return to talks possible.
Ayrault said he hoped the new U.S. -Russia agreement was “not just yet another declaration”.
Kerry added that the United Nations-led indirect peace talks between the Syrian opposition and President Bashar Assad’s government likely will resume “some days” after the Vienna meeting.
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“We’d like to see a real reduction in Syrian air force overflights”, said a USA official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the reasoning behind the joint statement.
