Arabic countries should be involved in Syria talks, de Mistura

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - It is important to the UN that Arabic countries should be involved in the negotiations process over Syria. The League of Arabic Countries will be informed of the results of the Astana meeting. However it is too early to speak about the format and participants of the UNSC meeting in Geneva, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General Staffan de Mistura said in the interview to RIA Novosti.    

"It is important to the UN to involve Arabic countries. I definitely intend to inform the Arabic countries to let them know what the point of the Astana meeting was and what can be done in order to reduce any threats to truce. After all Syria is not on the Moon or Antarctic - it is part of the Arabic world", - de Mistura said.

"I also plan to go to the League of Arabic Countries and inform them", the diplomat said.

He also noted that the format of the Geneva talks will be clear after his meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and after consultations in the UNSC.

"I will go to New York in order to inform about the meeting in Astana, which went very well, and ask for advice how to proceed to the next negotiations", de Mistura said in reply to the question whether Arabic countries are going to participate in the Geneva consultations in February.