Putin: Astana Meetings on Syria Paved Way for Geneva Talks

ALMATY- The intra-Syrian talks in Syria have paved the way for the Geneva talks by setting up a mechanism for monitoring the cessation of hostilities in Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

“These talks [on Syria in Astana] reached unprecedented results,” Putin said. “A mechanism for monitoring the Syrian ceasefire has been established which provided an opportunity to resume the Geneva talks,” Itar Tass reported.

 Putin thanked Nazarbayev for arranging the Astana talks.

“Kazakhstan played a very positive role, not only as the talks host, but it also influenced the positive results of the Astana meeting,” the Russian leader said.

Bogdanov: Syria Should Continue to be a Secular State

Meantime, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stressed on Monday that Syria should continue to be a secular state based on democratic principles.

 He was speaking at the Sixth Conference of the Valdai Discussion Forum’s Middle East Dialogue, according to the Russian agency.

Bogdanov expressed his country’s hope that the Syrian opposition will form a unified delegation in the Geneva talks, pointing out that “all parties have come to Geneva to implement the Security Council Resolution 2254”.

He noted the importance of the Syrian Kurds’ participation in the ongoing  intra-Syrian talks.

H.M