New Round of Astana peace talks kicks off in Kazakhstan

On August 1, the 13th round of Astana talks with the aim of putting an end to  the crisis in Syria is launched in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan Capital.

 The Syrian delegation headed by Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari is to present the Syrian Arab Republic in the two-day talks.

The Russian delegation is headed by the Russian President’s Special Envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev.The Iranian delegation is headed by the senior assistant to the Iranian Foreign Minister in Special Political Affairs, Ali Asghar Khaji and Turkey.Russia, Iran and Turkey are the guarantor states of Astana process

The Syrian opposition delegation to Astana talk is headed by Ahmed al-Tou’amah.

The Syrian delegation headed by Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari held a meeting with the Russian President’s Special Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev, and the Russian delegation members.

A delegation from the United Nations as observers is headed by Khawla Matar, Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations to Syria

 Representatives from Lebanon and Iraq are participating for the first time, in addition to Jordan.

“The Syrian internal opposition welcomes the Astana talks that aim at rooting out terrorism and terrorist groups from Idlib and Northeast of Syria. We are relying on our Russian and Iranian allies to put political solutions and finish the Turkey-supported terrorism in Idlib. The Turkey guarantor supplies the terrorist groups in Idlib with weapons and this is against the Russian -Turkish Sochi Agreement,” Mahmoud Mara’a, the Secretary General of Democratic National Action Commission, Syrian internal opposition group, said to Syria Times.

“The participation of Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan is very useful in easing the return of Syrian refugees from these states, enhancing the rebuilding process in Syria and shifting the unfair sanctions imposed on Syria,” Mara’a added.

Special for ST

Reported by Obaida al-Mohammad