Astana Process: Results to be announced today
The parties are expected to attend the final press conference to announce the results of the Astana process at 2 pm. There is a chance that UN Special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will hold a briefing for journalists as well.
According to experts, the first day of the talks inspired a careful optimism. As it was expected, the parties could not reach a decision as the contradictions were significant. Nevertheless, a final document will be signed upon the end of the negotiations.
As it was reported previously, discussions between the Syrian government and opposition are taking place in the format of indirect negotiations with involvement of the intermediary represented by the UN Special Envoy.
"At least there is a dialogue. There is a saying "A bad peace is better than a good quarrel". The initiative put forward by President Putin and President Erdogan was welcomed by Nursultan Nazarbayev. Here we act as a honest broker, a neutral party providing a platform. We have trust of different parties - Government of Syria, opposition groups, Turkey, Iran, Russia and others. We are on good terms with all the parties", Sanat Kushkumbayev Deputy Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Negotiations are taking place at the Rixos President Hotel Astana on 23-24 January 2017 with the participation of representatives of the seven parties. Among the participants, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are representatives of the Syrian government, armed opposition, Russia, Turkey, Iran, the United States, as well as the UN Special envoy for Syria.
Kazakh capital was chosen as a neutral territory for all parties.
