Putin: Astana talks to start after ceasefire in Syria
18:55, 23 December 2016
ASTANA. KAZINFORM At the annual press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that negotiations on reconciliation in Syrian Arab Republic will begin in Astana after signing an agreemenbt on ceasefire across the entire territory of Syria.
According to him, Astana was proposed to serve as a neutral site for negotiations. And President Nursultan Nazarbayev agreed to provide this platform and to create necessary conditions.
Earlier, Putin and Erdogan offered President Nazarbayev to hold talks on Syria in Astana. Nursultan Nazarbayev supported the initiative and expressed readiness to provide a platform for negotiations in the Kazakh capital. The Head of State noted that our country had supported international efforts for a peaceful settlement of the Syrian conflict from the beginning.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that the UN welcomes all initiatives on inclusive political process in Syria, including peace talks in Astana.