RUSSIAN Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed hope yesterday that diplomats would agree on a list of opposition groups to be invited to UN-brokered talks on peace in Syria.

He also sought consensus extremist groups that “will not be covered by a ceasefire that we hope to declare at some point.”

Mr Lavrov made his comments after meeting UN Syrian envoy Staffan de Mistura, who was in Moscow after a visit to Damascus and who urged Middle Eastern and Western nations to “use their influence” on opposition groups they back in Syria “so that these groups come to political talks with a constructive platform.”

Mr de Mistura said that the UN was ready to host talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups “immediately.”

The Moscow talks coincided with significant military advances by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, culminating in yesterday’s routing of Islamic State (Isis) forces who had seized the key road from Aleppo to the towns of Khanaser and Ithriya last month.

The road is the government’s lifeline to areas it controls in Aleppo province. State news agency Sana announced yesterday that residents could begin returning to their homes along the road from this morning.

Aleppo has been divided in two since 2012, with the government controlling the western half and rebels the east.

Isis controls a large swathe of territory to the east and north-east of the city, which was once the country’s commercial and industrial hub.

Aleppo and its surrounding province have seen heavy fighting since the Syrian army, backed by Russian air strikes, fighters from Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and Iranian militiamen, launched an offensive on rebel-held areas last month.

Iranian media agency Fars reported that the Syrian army had also regained control of al-Fark mountain in the coastal province of Latakia after fierce clashes with opposition forces.

This strategic mountainous region is now under full control of the Syrian army.

Fars also said that heavy fighting had erupted in north-eastern areas of Homs province between rival terrorist groups the al-Qaida affiliate Nusra Front and Katiba Shohada al-Bayaza, which Nusra says is allied to Isis.