Kazakhstan, Russian Foreign Ministers discussed Syria talks in Astana
ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Foreign Ministers of Russia and Kazakhstan Sergey Lavrov and Kairat Abdrakhmanov have had a telephone conversation to discuss the meeting between the Syrian Government and Syrian opposition in Astana, Kazinform refers RIA Novosti.
"The Ministers also discussed the topical issues of Russian-Kazakhstan relations including Kazakhstan's new role as UN SC non-permanent member for 2017-2018 and the planned peace talks over Syrian conflict", Russian MFA informed.
Earlier Sergey Lavrov discussed the issues of the negotiations in Astana with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Janavad Zarif and Turkish colleague Mevlut Chavoshoglu. According to the Russian party, the Syria talks in Astana may become "an important step towards conflict settlement". The new dialogue platform is supposed to supplement the Geneva talks. The day before Vitaly Naumkin, Research Coordinator of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Sciences Academy, Political Adviser of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria Staffan de Mistura told RIA Novosti that the meeting might take place in Astana before the change of the White House administration which is scheduled on January 20, and before the new round of negotiations in Geneva on February 8, 2017.