UN Secretary-General to make decision on participation in Sochi congress

ASTANA. KAZINFORM United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will make a decision on UN's participation in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress due in Sochi on January 29-30, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Saturday, Kazinform has learned from TASS.

"The Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is being briefed and will be briefed tonight on the outcome of these Vienna discussions. Then it will be up to him to take the decision what will be the UN response to the invitation to attend Sochi," he said.

The guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire - Russia, Iran, and Turkey - announced at a meeting held in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana in December 2017 that the Syrian National Dialogue Congress would take place in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on January 29-30. Participants are expected to work out a new Syrian constitution and discuss preparations for the UN-sponsored elections. Around 1,500 representatives of various Syrian political forces are expected to participate in the event.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the Syrian opposition's negotiations committee Firas al-Kaldi has confirmed that the committee will not take part in the Sochi event.