A new round of Syria peace talks backed by powerbrokers Russia, Iran and Turkey kicked off in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, the Central Asian country’s foreign.
Delegations from Russia, Iran and Turkey along with Syrian regime representatives and a 20-strong opposition delegation had all arrived in Astana for two days of talks, a ministry spokesman said.
The UN’s envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is expected to attend the second day of talks on Friday, the ministry said also he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow.
The eighth round of talks come after Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of Russian forces during a surprise visit to the war-torn country last week.
Moscow has spearheaded the talks in Astana since the start of the year as it tries to turn its game-changing military intervention into a negotiated settlement.
The Kremlin also hopes to convene a political congress in the Black Sea resort of Sochi which would bring together regime officials and the opposition to reinvigorate a hobbled peace process.
The Astana talks will also focus on shoring up the buffer zones, as well as issues including humanitarian aid and freeing prisoners, the foreign ministry has said.
