Syria talks started in Astana

ASTANA. KAZINFORM International meeting on inter-Syrian negotiations began in Astana, Kazinform correspondent reports.

Negotiations opened at the Rixos President Hotel, which at this moment receives representatives of the seven parties. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of the Syrian government, the Syrian opposition, Russia, Turkey, Iran, the United States, as well as the special envoy of the UN Secretary General on Syria participate in the negotiations.

It should be noted that Kazakh capital was chosen as a neutral territory for the negotiations. The Foreign Ministry reported that the talks will be held behind closed doors.

Earlier, during a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov, heads of the Syrian Government and Syrian opposition delegations thanked Kazakhstan‘s leadership and its people for promoting peace settlement of the conflict and providing the right conditions for the meeting. Both delegations noted their readiness to have meaningful talks in Astana.

According to the Ministry, Kazakhstan and its President Nursultan Nazarbayev intend to continue to contribute to international efforts on strengthening the ceasefire and finding a political solution to the inter-Syrian conflict.