An American-Russian center to ensure a rapid response to violations of the cease-fire in Syria will be opened in the coming days in Geneva, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday, citing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Lavrov thanked the United Nations for their logistical support of the center, ?€?where the military of the two countries will discuss face-to-face the developments of the situation on the ground in Syria,?€? according to Interfax.
?€?It's a big, effective step forward,?€? Lavrov told a press conference following his meeting with the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, in Moscow, the Kommersant newspaper reported.
On April 29, the U.S. and Russia agreed on a ?€?regime of silence,?€? or a cessation of hostilities in Syria starting from midnight of the same day. According to the agreement, the ?€?regime of silence?€? applied for 72 hours to parts of Syria's northern province of Latakia and for 24 hours to the suburbs of its capital Damascus.
On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the extension of the truce in the Damascus region of Ghouta for another 24 hours.