Kazakhstan to host next round of Syrian peace talks on Oct 30-31

ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry today announced the date for the next round of multilateral Syrian peace talks which are set to take place in the country’s capital, Astana, Sputnik news agency reported.

The next round of multilateral Syrian peace talks will be held in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana on October 30-31, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said.

“Ceasefire guarantor states have agreed to hold the seventh international high-level meeting on Syria within the Astana process on October 30-31,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The talks will aim to agree a provision establishing a working group that will deal with hostage and prisoner release, return of [fallen soldiers’] bodies and search for the missing,” the ministry added.

Negotiators will also look at how to combat international terrorism and will make a joint statement on humanitarian demining efforts in Syria. Issues of mutual interest may also be raised during the talks.

Talks on the military aspect of the Syrian peace process have been held in Astana on a nearly monthly basis since this January. The latest round in September led to an agreement to create a so-called de-escalation zone in the northern province of Idlib.

Russia, alongside Iran and Turkey, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria. It has been aiding the Syrian government both by supporting its struggle against terrorist groups and by providing humanitarian assistance to people in the war-torn country.

Sergey Kwan

TCA

Sergey Kwan has worked for The Times of Central Asia as a journalist, translator and editor since its foundation in March 1999. Prior to this, from 1996-1997, he worked as a translator at The Kyrgyzstan Chronicle, and from 1997-1999, as a translator at The Central Asian Post.
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Kwan studied at the Bishkek Polytechnic Institute from 1990-1994, before completing his training in print journalism in Denmark.

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