Kazakhstan announces readiness to host new round of talks on Syria in Astana format

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi said on Tuesday that his country is ready to hold an international meeting on Syria in the Astana format in the capital Nur-Sultan in the second half of December.

TASS news agency quoted Tleuberdi as saying to journalists “we confirmed our readiness to host the next round of talks on Syria after December 20. We received an official note from the Russian side and now we are waiting for the confirmation from other sides and only then will we begin to send official invitations to the meeting.”

Tleuberdi pointed out that currently a meeting of the foreign ministers of the guarantor states of the Astana process (Russia, Turkey and Iran) is being coordinated within the framework of the talks on Syria in Kazakhstan.

 Astana talks on Syria began early in 2017. 16 meetings have been held since then, one of them was held in the Russian city of Sochi.

All the meetings emphasized firm commitment to preserving Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and to continue fighting terrorist organizations until they are completely eliminated.

Hamda Mustafa