Iran interested in Syrian talks in Astana

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov has told about the process of preparation for the Syria talks.    

"It all depends on the participants - the ones who will head the delegations of the Russian Federation and Turkey in that meeting. We know that Iran representatives also want to participate in these negotiations. The tentative date of the meeting is January 23. Kazakhstan is ready", the Minister said on the sidelines of the Government Meeting.

The planned meeting, according to the Minister, is one of the important stages of preparation for the Geneva talks scheduled on February 8. "The meeting in Astana is no way a substitute of the Geneva platform", he underlined.

Earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin informed that he had arranged with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to propose the conflicting parties to continue the process of peaceful negotiations on the new platform in Astana. Putin said the new platform could supplement the Geneva talks.

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported the initiative and stated Astana was ready to provide such a platform. The meeting is expected to take place on January 23. The meeting in Geneva will be held on February 8 under the auspices of UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.