Kazakh foreign minister says Astana process helps strengthen Syrian ceasefire

ASTANA, March 13. /TASS/. The United Nations Security Council has praised the peacemaking potential of the "Astana process" aimed at settling the Syrian crisis as well as its role in strengthening the Syrian ceasefire, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said addressing the country’s lower house of parliament. According to the minister, the UN Security Council has applauded Kazakhstan’s role in finding a way to resolve the Syrian crisis. "Members of the United Nations Security Council noted that arranging dialogue between the Syrian government and the armed opposition, strengthening the ceasefire and setting up a trilateral mechanism for monitoring the ceasefire guaranteed by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, became possible thanks to the steps taken by the head of our state and the Astana process," Abdrakhmanov said. On February 6, Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana hosted the first meeting of the joint operational group on monitoring the Syrian ceasefire, which comprises experts from Russia, Turkey and Iran. The group was established following the international conference on settling the Syrian conference held in Astana on January 23-24. The second international meeting of the Astana process took place on February 15-16. Participants in the meeting discussed the ways to control the Syrian ceasefire and the prospects of the intra-Syrian consultations in Geneva. The next international Astana meeting is scheduled to be held on March 14-15. Delegations from Russia, Turkey and Iran will take part in the meeting, invitations have also been sent to the United Nations, the United States and Jordan. The Syrian government and the armed opposition are expected to confirm their participation. On March 14, preliminary consultations will be held while a plenary meeting is due on March 15. Read more