Syria Peace Talks to Resume in Astana Next Month: Iranian Diplomat

Speaking to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Thursday night, Jaberi Ansari, who headed Iran’s diplomatic team in the second round of Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana, said a number of expert and bilateral meetings were held over the past two days in Astana, including a general meeting on Thursday afternoon.

He further emphasized that a communique has been finalized by a joint committee monitoring the ceasefire in Syria, which has been established by Iran, Russia and Turkey.

According to a preliminary agreement that would be finalized in diplomatic consultations, the next round of the talks will be held in less than a month, Jaberi Ansari said.

Addressing the second round of the peace talks earlier on Thursday, Jaberi Ansari reiterated Iran’s stances on the future of Syria, which entail respect for the Arab country’s territorial integrity, its national sovereignty, and its people’s right to decide their own fate.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran calls on all Syrian groups to join the peace negotiations with the Syrian government and take the fate of their children in their hands,” he said.

The Iranian deputy minister also highlighted the achievements of Tehran-Moscow-Ankara trilateral efforts in tackling the crisis in Syria, saying the three countries have held intensive negotiations in recent weeks to finalize a plan for a joint committee monitoring the ceasefire in the Arab country.

Diplomatic efforts to end fighting in Syria have gained momentum in recent weeks with the announcement of a ceasefire in the Arab country in early January.

The truce, which was negotiated between Russia, Iran, Turkey, the Damascus government and the Syrian opposition, excludes terrorist groups such as Daesh and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

The ongoing meeting in Astana is the second time key players have brought the warring sides together, and comes ahead of a new round of UN-led talks on Syria in Geneva on February 23.