Astana meeting for Syrian settlement to resolve many issues

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - The international technical meeting on Syrian settlement in Astana is directed to solution of the issues in order to achieve progress in further negotiation process, said Deputy Director of Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies Sanat Kushkumbayev.     

"It should be noted that this meeting does not actually concern the parties of the intersyrian negotiations. It is not the meeting between the Syrians. It was the meeting between the external players - the so-called guarantor countries and experts - Russia, Turkey, Iran. Also it was said Jordan planned to join. First of all the technical meeting is called to negotiate all parameters - the participants, quantity, and logistics. That is a range of issues which are indispensable for successful negotiation process. Therefore these issues should be resolved before the meeting in Geneva which will be held in second half of February."

The expert also underscored that the more participants, the less are the chances. "If three countries can't to come to an agreement, it will be a challenge for four countries, and perhaps five countries will see it hardly possible.  Too many participants of the negotiation process will make things more complicated.  On the other hand  the participants of the process have said "the doors are open for external players" - Saudi Arabia, Qatar, USA, EU. So far these parties have been only watching the process without getting involved. But of course they do add certain sense to the negotiations", Kushkumbayev added.