Astana agreements must not remain solely on paper - Kairat Abdrakhmanov
"As you know, a year ago the leadership of Russia and Turkey asked if President Nursultan Nazarbayev would be willing to host peace talks between the Syrian government and representatives from the armed opposition groups," Kairat Abdrakhmanov said at the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the guarantor countries of the Astana Process.
"Convinced that the only alternative to war was peace and the only road to peace was through negotiations, Kazakhstan agreed and offered Astana as a platform for the UN-led intra-Syrian talks," Minister Abdrakhmanov noted.
According to him, there are many more obstacles to overcome until peace is achieved. But the past eight rounds of the Astana talks made it possible to end the stalemate in the negotiations process.
He said, "The initiative led in January 2017 to the conflicting parties sitting down for the first time at the same negotiating table.
It was here that the first meaningful steps towards strengthening confidence-building measures between the Syrian government and armed opposition were taken."
"Since these high-level talks were launched, the level of violence and the number of civilian casualties has been drastically reduced.
This alone is why the significance of the Astana process cannot be dismissed. But the process has also seen the creation of the conditions needed which could lead eventually to the cessation of hostilities," the Kazakh top diplomat stressed.
In his words, despite difficulties, the Astana Process has proven its effectiveness and relevance as a platform where all sides to the conflict can express their views, and most importantly conduct negotiations and agree on concrete steps.
"We must remember as well that the Astana Process is not a separate endeavor to the UN brokered talks, but is fully intended to integrate with the Geneva meetings. Any agreement reached in Astana undeniably complements the Geneva process and gives a positive impetus to the political settlement of the Syrian conflict," he said.
Abdrakhmanov pointed out that the need for a fresh drive for peace is clear. The global community has recently witnessed a string of dangerous clashes and most worryingly an increase in violence, including inside the de-escalation zones.
"This renewed fighting has caused numerous civilian casualties, including women and children. We continue to stress that the terrible suffering of the Syrian people must cease. Ordinary Syrians have already borne the violent brunt of this brutal conflict.
What we are witnessing in Syria today not only imperils de-escalation arrangements and regional stability, it also undermines the efforts for a political solution. Agreements reached in Astana must not remain solely on paper. They must produce tangible results if the credibility of the efforts of the international community and Syrian parties in the negotiation process is to be maintained," he added.
The Foreign Affairs Minister reiterated that in this regard, Kazakhstan calls on all actors that support an early settlement of the Syrian conflict, including the government of Syria, representatives of the armed opposition, guarantor states, as well as other countries that can exercise influence, to fully comply with the ceasefire regime.
"Moreover, we are hopeful that the foreign ministers of the guarantor states of the Astana Process will take additional constructive steps to implement strictly the ceasefire agreements and reestablish de-escalation zones in Syria.
Against the backdrop of the growing tensions over the situation on the ground, we believe there is an urgent need for major regional and international actors, first and foremost Russia and the United States, to engage in a constructive dialogue on this issue.
The successful cooperation of these two influential forces in resolving the situation in Syria would serve the interests of all parties concerned and the Syrian people as a whole," he said.
According to the minister, Kazakhstan acknowledges the ongoing efforts which are contributing to the process of reaching a political settlement and to improve the humanitarian situation in Syria. A fundamental step in this regard was the recent meeting of the Syrian National Congress in Sochi, during which the country's future was discussed by various representatives from across Syrian society.
He emphasized, "We believe that this significant gathering will help to galvanise and positively contribute to the Geneva process, while respecting the interests and rights of the various ethnic and communal groups of the Syrian population. We note that the Conference agreed on a statement, setting out 12 principles underlying the constitution."
Minister Abdrakhmanov is convinced that further escalation of the conflict will not benefit any of the parties, and most importantly will continue to harm the long-suffering people of Syria.
"As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and a neutral and objective mediator in this conflict, Kazakhstan will continue to provide all necessary assistance to the parties concerned in the hope of reaching a swift cessation of bloodshed and for the peaceful settlement of the situation in Syria," he reassured the participants of the meeting.
"We firmly believe that maintaining dialogue will eventually contribute to the implementation of a full ceasefire agreement, and a peaceful resolution of the long running conflict.
No lasting settlement of the Syrian crisis can be achieved without direct and inclusive dialogue between the parties," he underscored.
The minister insisted that it is the Syrians themselves who should begin to shape the future of their political system, with the necessary legislative reforms, including changes to the country's Constitution, and administrative structure, and presidential and parliamentary elections.
Wrapping up his speech, Kairat Abdrakhmanov thanked all participants for their constructive engagement and their commitment towards achieving peace, stability and the eventual prosperity in Syria.