Kazakh President meets with FMs of Astana process guarantor countries
The following foreign ministers took part in the meeting: Sergey Lavrov of the Russian Federation, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu of the Republic of Turkey, and Mohammad Javad Zarif of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The sides discussed the results and prospects for Astana talks for the settlement of the conflict in Syria.
The Head of State underscored that there are a number of ceasefire agreements reached in the course of the Astana process.
"The Syrian crisis remains relevant both for us and for the entire region. Four hundred thousand people, including children, women and elderly people, were killed. The conflict created unfavorable situation across the region. Nevertheless, the Astana process instilled hope for a speedy end to the war and bloodshed in Syria. The Astana talks have intensified the Geneva process," said the President of Kazakhstan.
Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed that Kazakhstan supported the UN Security Council resolution on the ceasefire in the region.
In his turn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan for the platform provided in Astana and pointed to the importance of seeking the solution to the conflict in Syria.
"In Eastern Ghouta, nearly 20 thousand civilians have already been able to leave this territory over the past two days. Now, together with the UN, we are tackling the issue of providing them with necessities of life in places of temporary stay before they can return to their homes," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
Mr. Lavrov underscored that the Astana talks helped find ways to resolve the Syrian conflict.
"Astana has launched a process that is recognized by all. The main thing is that the Astana platform stimulated efforts in all directions within the framework of the Syrian settlement. It is the fight against terrorists and the establishment of de-escalation zones, where the cessation of hostilities has significantly reduced violence. In addition, it is a more effective solution to humanitarian issues," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
Sergey Lavrov also stressed the importance of the Astana platform in the context of creating a comfortable political atmosphere.
"Astana's steadfast commitment to the rapprochement of opposing stances, and the spirit of Kazakhstan's foreign policy aimed at seeking agreements, helps us work effectively," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also underlined the effectiveness of the Astana process and expressed his commitment to that format of negotiations.
"It's been a little over a year since the beginning of the Astana talks, and we have managed to ensure great achievements and progress in this process. Yesterday, for the first time here in Astana, the Working Group on Confidence-Building Measures held a meeting concerning the release of hostages and detainees. We would like to maintain such dynamics that is peculiar to the Astana platform. We were able to get a new impetus to advance this process," the Turkish Foreign Minister said.
Mr. Çavuşoğlu also stressed the need to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif pointed out that the parties have succeeded in scaling down hostilities in Syria in spite of the existing problems in Eastern Ghouta.
"We have managed to mitigate the situation by solving some humanitarian issues despite the problems in Eastern Ghouta. Civilians in Syria managed to get protection. Yesterday we started work to build confidence between the parties," the Iranian Foreign Minister said.
Mr. Zarif also underlined the particular importance of the Astana platform in the formation of political ways and approaches in the settlement of the crisis in Syria.