UN Special Envoy for Syria to visit Astana

Regular negotiations on Syria as part of the Astana Process will commence in the Kazakh capital, Official Spokesperson of the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Aibek Smadyarov said at a briefing today, Kazinform News Agency reports.

In accordance with a collective appeal of the Astana Process Guarantor States, on January 24-25, the capital of Kazakhstan will host the 21^st International Meeting on Syria within the Astana Process. Delegations of Russia, Türkiye, Iran, the government of Syria and Syrian opposition will participate in the talks. Representatives of Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, the UN, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and International Committee of the Red Cross will join the meeting as observers, Aibek Smadyarov said.

The provisional agenda includes the issues of development of the regional situation around Syria, the efforts for all-round regulation in the country, humanitarian situation, mobilization of the international community’s efforts to promote post-conflict restoration of Syria and other issues.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen is expected to participate in the meeting too, Smadyarov said.