MOSCOW. March 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia and Syria have suggested that Russian and U.S. combat airplanes should work jointly to ensure the security of a working group that will arrive in the al-Tanf area to oversee the evacuation of refugees from the Rukban camp, the Russian and Syrian interagency coordination headquarters on the return of refugees to Syria said in a joint emergency statement, which has been signed by Russia's Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev.
"We propose ensuring security during the working group's presence in the al-Tanf zone from the air through joint efforts, in coordination using unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft of both the Aerospace Forces of Russia and the U.S. Air Force," according to the statement.
The document also calls "on the U.S. command to take its own measures to ensure the security of this effort within the 55-kilometer al-Tanf zone controlled by it."
The Russian and Syrian interagency coordination headquarters for the return of refugees to Syria has proposed holding an expanded meeting with the participation of the U.S. on March 26 in order to discuss steps to dissolve the Rukban camp.
"During the conference, the abovementioned working group, which includes representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic, Russia, the U.S., Jordan, as well as the UN, is expected to visit the Rukban camp to monitor, study in detail, and assess the situation in the places where refugees live," the statement said.
"The security of the group's movement and a meeting in the territory under the control of the Syrian government will be ensured by Syria's security service forces in interaction with units of the Russian Armed Forces' military police," it said.
If it proves impossible to hold such a coordination conference on March 26, other possible dates are April 2 and April 9.