Preparation of Astana Talks on Syrian Crisis Continues

“We are calling on all parties, which are interested in peaceful settlement of Syrian conflict, to support Astana process and, most of all, Geneva processes, which is going under the auspices of the United Nations,” Abdrakhmanov said.

Abdrakhmanov expressed hope that all parties involved in the Syrian crisis settlement process will use their political influence to support its processes.

“Of course,” the foreign minister said in response to whether Kazakhstan is continuing the preparation of the talks in May.

“We are currently waiting for further information on planned meeting in Tehran, and then on the meeting in Astana on May 3-4, from the guarantor states of Astana process,” Abdrakhmanov said, Sputnik reported.

The Intra-Syrian talks in Astana are mainly devoted to the ceasefire regime in Syria and everything that is beyond the monitoring of this regime in the country, is widely discussed at the international arena, Abdrakhmanov added.

Kazakhstan's capital of Astana has hosted three rounds of talks on Syrian settlement brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran, held on January 23-24, February 15-16 and March 14-15. During the talks, the participants agreed to set up a ceasefire monitoring group, among other issues. The next meeting on Syria in Astana is expected to take place in early May.

The fifth round of peace talks under the UN auspices in Geneva took place on March 23-31. The new round of Geneva negotiations on Syria will take place in May at the earliest and not before the talks in Astana, Bassma Kodmani, Syrian opposition's High Negotiations Committee (HNC) spokeswoman, told Sputnik on Thursday.

The nationwide Syrian ceasefire regime was introduced on December 30, 2016, with Russia and Turkey being its guarantors.