Astana process: Kazakhstan will not be involved in talks - Vasilenko

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vasilenko held the first press conference before the start of international meeting on Syria talks, Kazinform correspondent reports.

"The meeting on the Syrian settlement will take place on the initiative of Presidents of Russia and Turkey, which was fully supported by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. It is important to keep in mind, and it is a fundamental point, that the Republic of Kazakhstan only provides a platform for inter-Syrian negotiations, without getting involved in the process", he said.

According to Vasilenko, the talks in Astana will be attended by representatives of the Syrian Government, armed opposition, Governments of Russia, Turkey and Iran, as well as the UN Special envoy for Syria and the US Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

"The heads of all the delegations have already arrived in Astana and now prepearing for the start of negotiations. The talks will begin at 13.00 Astana time in one of the halls of "Rixos" President-hotel. They should be over before the end of the day January 24" said Roman Vasilenko.