Guterres Expresses Full Support for Astana Process on Syria
ASTANA, (ST)- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed his full support to the Astana negotiation process on Syria , because, in his opinion, these negotiations pave the way for success of the Geneva intra-Syrian talks,” the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service said in a statement on Monday.
Guterres made the remarks during his meeting on Sunday with Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov in New York.
The minister informed the UN secretary general about the negotiation process on Syria in Astana and Guterres expressed full support of Astana’s efforts toward reconciliation in Syria, according to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
The ministry added that Guterres said he would take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and the opening of the Expo-2017 exhibition in the Kazakh capital on May 8-9.
The delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic, led by Dr. Bashar al-Jaafri, arrived on Monday in the Kazakh capital Astana to take part in Astana meeting on crisis in Syria.
On April 27, the Deputy Kazakh Foreign Minister announced that the coming Astana meeting on Syria will be held on May 3rd and 4th and it will be of a “high level”.
The Kazakh capital Astana hosted three meetings on the crisis in Syria. The communiqué of the first meeting affirmed commitment to Syria’s independence and territorial integrity. The second meeting reiterated the need to fix the cessation of hostilities agreement in Syria, while the third meeting was held with the absence of the “armed opposition” delegation.
H.M