Iranian, Russian, Syrian Envoys Discuss Astana Talks
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari held separate meetings with the Russian president’s special envoy on Syria and the Arab country’s ambassador to the United Nations ahead of the peace talks in the Kazakh capital.
The Iranian and Russian delegations headed by Jaberi Ansari and Alexander Lavrentiev held the talks on the prolonged Syrian crisis in Astana on Tuesday afternoon.
The meeting focused on the latest developments in Syria and arrangements made to continue ceasefire in the war-hit country and to hold the second round of Astana talks.
In another session held on Tuesday night, Jaberi Ansari met with Bashar al-Jaafari and exchanged views about the agenda of the upcoming Astana talks.
According to media reports, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that the beginning of the second round of Astana talks on Syria has been delayed until Thursday noon (06:00 GMT).
The talks were expected to take place on February 15 and 16.
The international meeting began on January 23 with the participation of a number of delegations, including armed opposition, Damascus, Russia, Iran, and Turkey.
Iran, Russia and Turkey issued a joint statement at the end of the peace talks on January 24, reiterating that there is no military solution to the Syrian war and that only a political process can resolve the crisis.
The states also reaffirmed their commitment to the independence and territorial integrity of Syria.
