Next Round Of Astana Syria Talks To Be Held Late February, Foreign Ministry Says

ASTANA. KAZINFORM The next round of the Astana process on settlement of the Syrian conflict is planned for later this month, Kazakhstan's top diplomat Kairat Abdrakhmanov said on the sidelines of the Government session today. The Minister noted that, according to the guarantor countries, the parties are currently preparing for the next round of talks in Astana in the last two weeks of February, in accordance with agreements reached earlier. However, the final dates are yet to be confirmed. As previously reported, at the previous round of the Astana process which was held on December 21-22, 2017, the guarantor countries agreed on establishing a working group on the release of detainees/abductees and handover of the bodies as well as the identification of missing persons, and adopted a joint statement on humanitarian demining in Syria, including UNESCO's cultural heritage sites.