Originally published in Sputnik News

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Daria Chernyshova — The Western countries and Russia need to join efforts to identify moderate opposition groups in Syria to fight the Islamic State (ISIL) jihadist group, former US ambassador to Syria Richard Murphy told Sputnik Saturday.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Syrian leader Bashar Assad agreed with possible Moscow’s support of Syrian opposition factions in case they exist and were ready to fight terrorists. Previously, the Western countries refused to help Russia to identify or establish contacts with Syria's "moderate" opposition.

"There is a clear need for intensive consultations between Russia and the United States and Europe to identify ‘moderate’ opposition groups for possible cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State and to work out the path to a transitional government in Syria," Murphy, who was US assistant secretary of state for Near East and South Asian affairs between 1983 and 1989, said.