(VOVworld) - Russia will not halt airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria even after a ceasefire is announced.

A frame grab taken from footage released by Russia's Defense Ministry on Dec. 4, 2015, shows airstrikes carried out by Russia's air force hitting a training camp, which, according to the ministry, is controlled by the IS, in Aleppo, Syria. (Photo: REUTERS/Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation)

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told the media on Thursday that the aim of the ceasefire is to bring opposition groups and the Syrian government together for talks to end the conflict but this doesn't mean an end to the war on IS and other terrorist groups. Bogdanov said Russia will use any lull in hostilities to intensify its air strikes on IS.

Russia’s General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov (Photo: Alexei Nikolskiy /TASS)

Meanwhile Russia’s General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov agreed with his French counterpart Army General Pierre de Villiers on the exchange of assessments of the current situation in Syria.

The Russian Defense Ministry made the announcement in a statement on Thursday, saying that Gerasimov also agreed with France to set up an exchange of operative information to coordinate the actions for a more effective destruction of command points, military equipment, arms depots, paths for equipping militants, and other IS infrastructure in Syria..

According to the ministry’s press service, Gerasimov provided information to France on Turkey's role in stealing Syrian natural resources and financing the IS.